senator Charles E. Schumer

About Chuck Schumer

U.S. Senator Charles Ellis “Chuck” Schumer has dedicated his career to fighting for New York

He visits all 62 counties every year and has delivered countless large and small victories across the state, including delivering $20 billion to rebuild after the 9-11 terror attacks and passing a $63 billion relief package to help New York recover from Superstorm Sandy. From massive snowstorms in Western New York to numerous floods across Upstate, Chuck has delivered aid and support to New Yorkers in their time of need. From authoring a permanent tax credit to offset the rising costs of college tuition, to protecting Social Security and Medicare and encouraging job-creating infrastructure projects, Senator Schumer has made it a hallmark of his career to protect the middle class and those working to reach it – including finding common sense solutions to national issues.

EARLY DAYS

Chuck was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, where his dad, Abraham, owned a small exterminating business and his mom, Selma, was a housewife. He attended public school and graduated from James Madison High School before heading to Harvard University, and then Harvard Law School. Chuck has two daughters, Jessica and Alison, and he still resides in Brooklyn with his wife, Iris Weinshall.

EARLY CAREER

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1974, Chuck was elected to the New York State Assembly. He quickly made a mark with his trademark vigor and relentless advocacy. In 1980, at 29, Chuck was elected as a congressman from the 9th Congressional District. Chuck represented the 9th CD in Brooklyn and Queens for eighteen years. In an era of sky-high crime and murder rates plaguing communities throughout America, Chuck established his reputation as a consumer advocate and a pioneer in the fight against crime. He was the leading sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act to combat domestic violence and sexual assault, and the Brady Bill, instituting mandatory background checks for handgun purchases. He championed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which organized data on crimes of bigotry and allowed federal authorities to prosecute these crimes. He also sponsored legislation requiring banks and credit card companies to provide consumers with more transparent disclosure.

IN THE SENATE

In 1998, Chuck was elected to the U.S. Senate, and he became New York’s senior senator when Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan retired in 2000. Chuck kicked off his first Senate term by announcing he would visit each of New York’s 62 counties every year to keep in touch with voters from every corner of the state. A tradition he continues to this day.

Throughout his time in the Senate, Chuck has made improving New York’s economy his top priority.

He worked to bring affordable air service, like JetBlue, to Upstate New York. He has helped retain New York jobs at risk of leaving and attract new firms to New York—creating many thousands of family-supporting new jobs. Chuck authored legislation to eliminate barriers that delayed low-cost generic medications from entering the marketplace and led the charge to make college tuition tax deductible. He aggressively championed agricultural measures to preserve vital market support programs for New York’s dairy farmers and crop growers. In 2013, Chuck worked across the aisle to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package: the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Chuck has made it a hallmark of his career to protect the middle class and those working to reach it.

New York’s Senator Chuck Schumer was first elected to the Senate in 1998. After New Yorkers re-elected him in 2004, Chuck secured two powerful posts: a seat on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the nation’s tax, trade, social security and healthcare legislation, and the Chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). Chuck successfully led the DSCC for two consecutive cycles and greatly expanded the number of seats in his conference. Following the elections of 2006, then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) appointed Chuck to serve as Vice Chair of the Democratic Conference, the number three position on the Democratic Leadership team. In 2016, Chuck was again re-elected by the people of New York. At the same time, his colleagues elected him to serve as Leader of the Democratic Caucus, the first time a New York Senator has held the position. In 2021, Chuck became the first New Yorker to serve as Senate Majority Leader. As Majority Leader, Chuck has led the Senate through one the most productive periods in its history, ushering landmark legislation through the Senate including the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS And Science Act, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the American Rescue Plan, and much more. These accomplishments are delivering meaningful results for families, businesses, and communities across New York State and around the country. In 2022, Chuck was re-elected by the people of New York to an unprecedented fifth term. As senator, Chuck has made it a hallmark of his career to protect the middle class and those working to reach it. He continues that mission every day as leader of the Senate Democratic Majority.