Agriculture is important to New York’s economy and is an intrinsic part of New York’s culture and heritage. For generations, New York farm families have provided healthy foods to feed the state, the nation and the world. As I travel throughout the state, I am continually impressed by the contributions farmers make to our rural communities and the tremendous positive impact they have on the economy. That is why I have worked so hard to advance policies that help our farms to thrive and grow. continue reading

The American economy is recovering from the worst financial crisis and the deepest recession since the Great Depression. The recovery is under way, but we obviously have a long way to go. New York is recovering faster than many states, but the recovery is uncertain and uneven, and unemployment is still too high in New York. continue reading

Senator Schumer comes from the middle class and works for the middle class. That is why he is a leader in protecting consumers from big business and special interests over the course of his career in Congress. Senator Schumer has led the charge against predatory lending, passing into law the “Schumer Box” for greater disclosure on credit card statements, and continues to fight unfair mortgage practices with the Borrowers Protection Act and credit card lending practices with the Credit Card Bill of Rights. continue reading

I believe that any federal standards must be accompanied by a greater federal investment in education. We need to learn from the lesson of NCLB-- that imposing new standards on school districts without providing them with the necessary resources doesn’t work. continue reading

New Yorkers demand a reliable supply of energy at a reasonable price. It keeps our factories humming and our skyscrapers shining. We use it to get to work in the morning and to light our homes through the night. We balance these everyday needs with a larger understanding that many types of energy we buy come at a cost to our environment and support foreign governments who do not have our best interests in mind. continue reading

Medicare is a landmark public health insurance program that covers retirees and individuals with disabilities – more than 45 million Americans nationwide. Before Medicare was enacted, nearly half of all retirees were uninsured. Now virtually all retirees have access to meaningful health coverage through Medicare. As health care costs grow, so do the costs of Medicare. I believe that it is crucial that we preserve and strengthen Medicare so that retirees and individuals with disabilities can continue to rely on the essential health care coverage it provides. continue reading

As the September 11th attacks made clear, foreign enemies do not heed borders. As a major international gateway, New York has also been one of the most frequent targets of those who would threaten our way of life. From radical extremists to organized criminals and drug smugglers, dangerous groups try to use the openness and diversity of our state against us. I am working hard to give law enforcement organizations the resources that they need to keep us safe. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I also try to minimize the side effects of legitimate surveillance efforts on the lives of regular people. A secure society should not come at the expense of the personal freedoms we are trying to protect. continue reading

A stable housing market is an important cornerstone for building strong neighborhoods and bringing financial security to the families who live and work and go to school in these communities. For many hardworking New Yorkers, owning a home serves not only as an important source of wealth creation and preservation for future generations, but also as a source of stability for raising a family and building community ties. continue reading

New York is home to many natural treasures so it’s no wonder that hunting and fishing are popular activities throughout the state. Hundreds of thousands of sportsmen hunt in the Empire State each year and generations of New Yorkers have fished our waters from the Great Lakes to Long Island Sound. I believe that we must be good stewards of our natural resources and our hunting traditions so that our and future generations can enjoy outdoor sporting activities. That is why I support policies that protect our environment while allowing New Yorkers to enjoy the bounty of our waters and forests. continue reading

Our federal immigration system is badly broken. This broken system has produced dysfunctional outcomes. It has created an unsustainable situation where thousands of people cross our southern border illegally each day while, at the same time, we continue to see shortages in much needed occupations such as doctors, scientists, engineers, and agricultural workers. And, on the flip side, the fact that we do not have good, strong, workable federal immigration laws is now causing states to pass inconsistent laws that create havoc for employers and law enforcement. continue reading

Senator Schumer sits on the Judiciary Committee, his work over the years has spanned from judicial nominations to intellectual property law. To read more about what the Senator has done and is currently working on continue reading

Senator Schumer, with a bipartisan group of senators, has pushed successive administrations to address China’s currency manipulation. Senator Schumer also continues to champion legislation to provide specific consequences for countries that fail to adopt appropriate policies to eliminate currency misalignment and to give the Administration additional tools to address the impact of currency misalignment on American manufacturers, including use of the countervailing duty law to impose tariffs on imports benefitting from foreign government subsidies. continue reading

As our country fights two foreign wars and maintains the ability to project military power around the globe, defense spending composes a major portion of the federal budget. I am determined to give our service-members the tools they need to perform their missions. Thousands of New Yorkers work in manufacturing and research positions that contribute greatly to our military capacity. With this in mind, I believe that we have to decide upon a level of defense spending that is appropriate in light of recent shocks to our economy. Maintaining our national security is a primary mission of the federal government, but social programs cannot make all the sacrifices. continue reading

It is both a privledge and an honor to represent the great state of New York in the United States Senate. I fight every day for New Yorkers on a wide range of issues and I will continue to do so in order to make sure that New York remains the greatest state in the union. Below are some of the things I’ve been working on for New York. continue reading