Press Releases
Schumer Unveils New "Us Homeland Security Signal Corps" So New York Cops, Firefighters & Emts Can Communicate At Terror Sites
Standing on a Manhattan block where FDNY Ladder and Engine Companies share a common wall with an NYPD precinct, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today unveiled a new proposal to create a new US Homeland Security Signal Corps a model program funded with $50 million from the Federal government to create a specialized regiment of police, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel whose only job is to guarantee that first responders can communicate with one another, headquarters and the public a… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Schumer: More Than $1.3 Million Coming To Local Police Departments For New Bulletproof Vests
US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that police departments across New York State have secured more than $1.3 million from the US Department of Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership, a program Schumer cosponsored that splits the cost of new body armor with localities. Over the last year, Schumer had repeatedly reached out to police departments statewide, urging them to apply for these funds and guiding them through application process. "This funding will ensure that the men… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Schumer: Save Program That Has Added Over 3,000 Cops To Upstate NY
The program that has added over 3,000 police officers to patrol Upstate New York since 1994 would be decimated if the Administration's current budget proposal is approved, US Senator Charles E. Schumer warned today. Schumer, one of the original authors of the 1994 legislation creating the COPS program, today urged Congress and the White House to save the program by restoring full funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant Program, which has sent upstate police departme… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Schumer: Second Corrections Official With Checkered Record Put In Power Position At Iraqi Prisons
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed that a second prison official in Iraq has a troubling history of defending prisoner abuse and called on Attorney General John Ashcroft to immediately initiate an investigation of all crimes committed by civilian contractors in the Iraqi prison system. Schumer discovered that John Armstrong, was forced from his post as the head of Connecticuts corrections department for defending abuses of prisoners but now serves in a highranking management positi… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Us Senate Passes Schumer Sickle Cell Bill To Provide New Sickle Cell Research Center And 40 Local Clinics
US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the US Senate last night passed his legislation to increase research and improve treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. The bill, which Schumer cosponsored with Senator Jim Talent (RMO), was included in the the JumpStart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Bill that passed by a 92 to 5 vote late last night. This bill will provide a major boost for the health care of thousands of people. Thats why it won such broad and bipartisan support in a Senate where, frankly… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Senators To HHS Secretary Thompson: Government Drug Price Negotiation Should Be Used More Broadly
Washington, DCU.S. Senators Tim Johnson (DSD) and Charles Schumer (DNY) today requested that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) work with Congress to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs in the Medicare program. The Senators urged Secretary Tommy G. Thompsons assistance in repealing language in the Medicare prescription drug benefit law that expressly prohibits the Secretary from negotiating lower drug prices. Secretary Thompson recently approved a plan that will allow … Continue Reading
10.27.06
Schumer Gets "Green Bonds" For Destiny Mega-Mall Project In Syracuse Added To Senate Tax Bill
US Senator Charles Schumer today announced that he brokered a bipartisan arrangement that moves the DestinyNY megamall in Syracuse deal closer to completion. A measure that Schumer requested to place taxexempt "green bonds" that would help finance the project took a major step forward Wednesday night, as the Senate passed an amendment adding them to a pending international tax bill. "This is very good news for Destiny," Schumer said. "It bodes very well for green bonds… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Schumer: Parmalat Decision To Not Sell U.S. Assets Both Preserves Competition For Farmers And Helps Prevent Milk Price Hikes
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the danger of a single company controlling as much as 80 or 90 percent of the New York milk market now appears to be averted because Farmland Dairies and Parmalat USA announced that they would restructure their bankrupt American operations rather than sell the company to a competitor. Last week, the US Department of Justice revealed it had already launched an antitrust investigation Schumer had requested that was assessing the potential impact… Continue Reading
10.27.06
Justice Dept Agrees To Schumer's Parmalat Probe; Will Gauge How Sale Of Company Could Impact New York's Dairy Farmers
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the US Department of Justice has agreed to a request he made six weeks ago and has already launched an antitrust investigation into the proposed sale of milk giant Parmalat. Schumer had asked the Justice Department in late March to closely monitor the potential impact on New York farm prices of a sale of Parmalat to one of the existing large New York milk suppliers before approving any deal. Schumer was concerned that if Parmalat were sold to on… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer Measure To Penalize USDA For Mismanagement Of Price Support Payments Passes Congress
Because of USDA mismanagement, dairy farmers in Capital Region lost $2.7 million since 2001; Central NY $3.5m; Hudson Valley $1m; North Country $6.4m; Rochester/Finger Lakes $2.9m; Southern Tier $4.5m; Western NY $4.1m US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that his effort to penalize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) whenever it mismanages a price support program for New York's dairy farmers passed the Senate today. Last month, Schumer revealed that the USDA has shortchange… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer: Ulster County Middle Income Housing Shortages Reaching Crisis Levels - Unveils Major Plan To Make Housing Affordable
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a major new housing plan to vastly expand access to middle income housing in Ulster County where the median price of buying a new house has skyrocketed by 39 percent over the last two years. Schumer detailed a $300 million expansion of an alreadyoversubscribed Fannie Mae initiative that lets middle income families in the New York metropolitan area purchase homes with down payments as low as $500. "We all know that middle income housing has bee… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer: New FBI Warning About Truck Bombs At High-Profile Nyc Sites Shows Need For Comprehensive Anti-Terror Truck-Bomb Plan
Armed with FBI information released over the last two weeks indicating terrorists may use truck bombs to attack highprofile targets like the Empire State Building and on the heels of this week's announcement of credible intelligence information pointing to terrorist attacks in the USA this summer US Senator Charles E. Schumer today renewed his push for a comprehensive antiterrorist truckbomb plan. After 14 months of Schumer's urging, the US Transportation Security Administration finall… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer, Clinton: Key Senate Panel Backs $2.4 Million In Defense Funds For Bioinformatics Center
US Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $2.4 million under the FY05 National Defense Appropriations Act for the State University of Buffalos Center for Bioinformatics. The bill must now be approved by the full Senate before being sent to a House and Senate Conference Committee and eventually being signed into law. "This money will do great things for Buffalos economy while supporting major advances that will … Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer Secures $500,000 For Community Action Organization Of Erie County
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that he has secured $500,000 for the Community Action Organization (CAO) of Erie County, as part of the CommerceJusticeState Appropriations component of the omnibus bill passed today by the Senate. The funds will be used to create programs aimed at fighting crime in Buffalo's East Side. "Make no mistake about it. Innovation and hard work are important, but to really get crime down you need to provide a community with the resources it needs… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer: Major Proposal Unveiled Today Could Bring Ny Dairy Farmers $93 Million
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today unveiled a new proposal with a bipartisan coalition in Congress including Reps. Tom Reynolds and John McHugh that would send New York dairy farmers $53 million more a year than the current MILC program. Schumer said today that the new proposal would act like a regional dairy pact when milk prices fall and would serve as an alternative to the current MILC program that could boost the income of New Yorks dairy farmers by $93 million annually and save the federal… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer: Over $990,000 Coming To New York Fire Departments And Organizations
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced over $990,000 in federal funds awarded to local fire departments and organizations across New York State to help the department reduce the effects of fire and fire related incidents. The funds are being awarded through the Assistance to Firefighters program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is a great day for local fire departments and organizations across New York, said Schumer. In the brave new post9/11 world, o… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer Reveals Fourth Corrections Official With Checkered Record In Power Position At Iraqi Prisons
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed evidence that a fourth civilian who served in a position of power in the Iraqi prison system had a troubling history of tolerating and defending prisoner abuse while serving as a corrections administrator in the United States. Senator Schumer also called upon the Department of Justice's Inspector General to investigate how so many US prison officials with checkered records were selected by the DOJ to oversee the sensitive and important project o… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer: Effort To Re-Name Post Office In Barber Conable's Honor Passes Senate Unanimously
US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that his effort with Rep. Tom Reynolds to rename the US Post Office in Batavia after late Congressman Barber Conable passed the Senate unanimously late last night. Reynolds's bill to rename the post office previously passed the House in February, paving the way for the President to sign the bill into law. "Barber Conable had a legendary career in Congress," Schumer said. "It's only fitting that there be a building on West Mai… Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer Introduces New Low Cost Air Service To Albany Area Unveils New Independence Air Jet And Brings Ceo To Meet With Local Leaders
US Senator Charles E. Schumer introduced Independence Air CEO Kerry Skeen to the Capital Region by bringing him to Albany to unveil his new jet and meeting with local business leaders. Schumer said it was important to introduce Skeen to the Albany community and to encourage close relationships between the airline and local business leaders to maximize the benefit of the new affordable air service to the area economy. "Companies often look at the number of flights before bringing business … Continue Reading
10.26.06
Schumer: Over $130,000 Coming To Swormville Fire Company
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced over $130,000 in federal funds for the Swormville Fire Company to pay for fire operations and fire safety. The funds are being awarded through the Assistance to Firefighters program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is a great day for the Swormville Fire Company, said Schumer. In the brave new post9/11 world, our first responders must be well trained and well equipped to deal with any problem that comes their way.… Continue Reading
