senator Charles E. Schumer Contact information

Charles Ellis Schumer is a prominent American politician currently serving as the Senate Majority Leader since 2021 and the senior United States senator from New York since 1999. As a member of the Democratic Party, Schumer has been leading the Senate Democratic Caucus since 2017, holding the position of Senate Minority Leader from 2017 to 2021. Now in his fifth Senate term, Schumer is the longest-serving US senator from New York, surpassing previous records held by Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jacob K. Javits in 2023. He also serves as the dean of New York’s congressional delegation.

Early Life and Education

Born in Midwood, Brooklyn, on November 23, 1950, to Selma (née Rosen) and Abraham Schumer, Charles Schumer’s father ran an exterminating business, and his mother was a homemaker. Schumer attended Brooklyn public schools, excelling academically, scoring a perfect 1600 on the SAT, and graduating as valedictorian from James Madison High School in 1967. He then attended Harvard College, initially majoring in chemistry before switching to social studies, inspired by his volunteer work on Eugene McCarthy’s 1968 presidential campaign. Schumer graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1971 and earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1974. Though he passed the New York state bar in 1975, he chose a career in politics over practicing law.

Political Career

New York State Assembly (1975–1980): Schumer began his political career by being elected to the New York State Assembly in 1974, serving three terms until 1980.

U.S. House of Representatives (1981–1999): Schumer represented New York in the House of Representatives for nine terms, first in the 16th congressional district, later redistricted to the 10th and then the 9th districts.

U.S. Senate (1999–Present): Schumer was elected to the Senate in 1998, defeating three-term Republican incumbent Al D’Amato. He has since been re-elected four times, most recently in 2022 with 56% of the vote. In the Senate, Schumer has held several leadership positions, including chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (2005-2009), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus (2007-2017), and chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee (2011-2017).

Legislative Achievements and Leadership

As Senate Majority Leader since 2021, Schumer has overseen significant legislative efforts, including the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and the Respect for Marriage Act. His leadership has also resulted in a historic number of federal judicial confirmations during the first two years of the Biden administration, including the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

Personal Life

Schumer is married to Iris Weinshall, former New York City Commissioner of Transportation, and they have two daughters, Jessica and Alison. The Schumers reside in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Schumer’s family is Jewish, with roots tracing back to Chortkiv, Galicia (now western Ukraine). Notably, Schumer is a second cousin, once removed, of comedian Amy Schumer.