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In light of recruitment shortages just announced by Defense Department Officials, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today unveiled new data showing nearly half of all New York activated reservist families are losing significant amounts of income while serving. Schumer also announced a new Standing With Our Troops Tax Credit plan to give up to $15,000 tax breaks to employers who pay the salaries of activated reservists while the reservists are abroad fighting the War on Terror which would cut the... Read More

With gas prices in New York City breaking every record in the book, as consumers pay 40 cents more now than they were paying last year at this time, and with summer just around the corner threatening to push gas prices even higher, today U.S Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the FTC to block the ChevronTexacoUnocal merger and to review the ExxonMobil merger and the ChevronTexaco mergers to see whether they can be undone. Schumer also released a survey of where to find the cheapest gas in each... Read More

With news that the Federal governments stockpile of vaccines for common childrens sicknesses is dwindling to an all time low, with drug makers unwilling to make more to fill the stockpile because of a grudge match over federal bookkeeping rule, today Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Securities Exchange Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services to come up with an exemption for vaccine makers when it comes to counting revenue. The stockpile, which is supposed to contain... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed that cheap Chinatown bus services and a number of other bus tour providers are sorely lacking in passenger safety. According to Federal criteria, Chinatown buses do much worse than other companies in several Safety Evaluation Areas (SEA), which rate a bus services drivers, vehicles, and overall safety management. Recent accidents on a few of these Chinatown buses have raised serious questions about the safety of passengers riding to and from New... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced over $930,000 in federal funds for eleven fire departments in the Southern Tier to pay for fire operations and fire safety. The funds are being awarded through the Assistance to Firefighters program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "This is a great day for Southern Tier fire departments," said Schumer. "In the brave new post9/11 world, our first responders must be well trained and well equipped to deal... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that a $183,700 grant and a $115,000 loan was awarded to the Town of Gaines to assist in extending the public water supply. The funds are being awarded through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development program as a Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant. "This is great news for the Town of Gaines," Schumer said. "The water system is critical to the livelihood of the community and the health of local... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer in a phone call late Wednesday personally pushed Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to use his influence to help award Lockheed Martins Owego plant a massive multimillion dollar presidential helicopter contract. Schumer, who has been aggressively lobbying the Pentagon, said that Lockheeds US 101 is unsurpassed in exceeding all safety and security requirements. Schumer spoke with Rumsfeld, who was receptive to Schumers request that this decision be made on the... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, spoke on the floor today calling for real consultation in the Supreme Court nomination process. He repeated his call for the President convene a summit on the nomination and also pointed to an important statement from President Bush today in which he agreed that a nominees philosophy matters. Schumer has suggested numerous times that a Supreme Court nominees philosophy is a key factor in... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the CUNY Research Foundation and Trustees of Columbia University will receive a combined $127,175 in federal funds for nurse training programs. The money was awarded through the Advanced Education Nursing Traineeships Grant Program and it will create opportunities for nurses trainees, help to advance their medical education and ultimately, improve health care in New York. CUNY will receive $18,693, and $108,482 will go to Trustees of Columbia... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today joined Rochester business leaders to discuss the local impact of a new proposal to require passports at the USCanada border. Speaking with Fast Ferry officials, Schumer detailed the importance of securing our border, and heard from community leaders concerned with the economic impact of requiring passports to travel to or from Canada and the US. Schumer specifically addressed how progress with the Fast Ferry could be impacted if new proposal is approved as it... Read More

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a statement this afternoon rejecting the China currency section 301 petition. Senator Chuck Schumer, author of the China Free Trade Act and the Currency Manipulation Definition Act, issued the following statement in response: For a third time, the Administration is turning a blind eye to Chinas unfair trade practices. While I appreciate that the Bush Administration conceded this week for the first time that Chinas policies are damaging to the... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer delivered a speech to the American Constitution Society today to talk about the Myth of the Ginsburg Precedent. Schumer, the ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, will be highlighting the many questions that Justice Ginsburg and other Supreme Court nominees have answered at past hearings. The text of the prepared speech follows: I want to thank the American Constitution Society for hosting this event. The Senate is only five days away from... Read More

In the wake of last weekend's severe thunderstorms and subsequent flooding, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged Governor George Pataki to declare Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Genesee, Greene, Madison, Orange, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga, and Ulster counties emergency areas and to apply for federal assistance. The damage to bridges, roads, and other infrastructure in Delaware County alone are estimated to be at least $3.4 million. Since the majority of the storm... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer and Congressman Maurice Hinchey today launched a new effort to widen Route 17 to three lanes in both directions. Schumer and Hinchey called on New York State to fully fund its existing sevenyearold project to upgrade Route 17 to Interstate I86 and also to expand the plans to include more lanes from Harriman in Orange County to Monticello. "The traffic on Route 17 is bad enough now, and casinos would only increase the bottlenecks," Schumer said. "The... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today sent a letter today to US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson, urging him to accept the Niagara Falls Housing Authoritys application to the Hope VI grant program, which seeks to revitalize severely distressed public housing. Schumer, who serves on the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees HUD, said that federal assistance could lead to commercial interest, jobs, and better homes in Niagara Falls. "The development could mean a... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that NanoDynamics, a nanotechnology firm, has decided to stay in Buffalo and expand, creating 325 new jobs over the next five years. Schumer played a key role in arranging the deal between NanoDynamics, which was being lured by other states to relocate, and the New York State Economic Development Corporation (ESD). Schumer aggressively lobbied the ESD to sweeten their incentives package so NanoDynamics would remain in Buffalo and create new jobs.... Read More

Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (DNY) again called on President Bush to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to bring down recordhigh gas prices. According to todays reports, barrels of oil traded for $66.27 on Monday and the national average per gallon of regular gasoline was $2.55 on Monday, and in some areas exceeded $3.00 per gallon. In New York State the average regular gasoline price was even higher, selling for $2.61 per gallon on Monday. In March, the national average retail... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that $241,913 has been awarded to organizations in the Capital Region by the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Justice Programs (OJP) under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. The City of Albany will receive $150,000, Schenectady County will receive $57,980 and the City of Troy will receive $33,933. The federal funds will be used for crime control and prevention programs. When it comes to protecting our citizens, we need... Read More

As a shortage a volunteer fire fighters threatens departments in Nassau and Suffolk County who rely on a nearly all volunteer fire fighting force, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today unveiled a new proposal to support volunteer firefighters and emergency medical support (EMS) providers on Long Island. Standing with volunteer firefighters who shared their recruitment struggles, Schumer announced his legislation, the Supporting Emergency Responders Volunteer Efforts (SERVE) Act, which offers a... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today vowed to fight to lower prices for New Yorkers who are paying more than 30 percent more for home heating oil this winter. Schumer today unveiled a new study showing that the average New York household using home heating oil is paying approximately $329 more this year than last year and called on the Administration to pressure Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reverse its recent decision to abandon a price target band, a significant... Read More