Emeley Rodriguez
September 8, 2013
Biography of Charles Schumer
Charles
Ellis Schumer, otherwise known as Chuck Schumer, is a leader in the Democratic Party.
Currently serving as the Senior Senator of New York for his third term with Kirsten
Gillibrand, Schumer has showed time and time again his dedication to the State
of New York and multiple national issues like immigration, same-sex marriage,
and homeland security. He started at home in the NYS Assembly and made his way
to Congress serving in the House of Representatives and as a Senator.
Schumer
was born on November 23, 1950 in Brooklyn, NY. His family consisted of his parents,
Selma and Abe, who were very active and business oriented, and his siblings
Fran and Robert. They grew up in the city in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood in
Brooklyn and attended public school. He attended P.S. 197 for elementary and middle
school and Madison H.S. which he graduated from in 1967 as valedictorian. The following
year Schumer went to Harvard College and became the first person in his family
to go to college. Four years later he graduated with an A.B. degree and went on
to Harvard Law School and got his J.D. in 1974. Straight out of Law School, Schumer
joined the NYS Assembly and served from 1975 until 1980 when he decided to take
his career to Capitol Hill and run for a seat in the House of Representatives.
1980
was a big year for Senator Schumer. Not only did he run for and win a seat in
the 9th Congressional District, on September 21st he also
married his wife, Iris Weinstall, who was the NYC Commissioner of Transportation
from 2000-2007. From their marriage they have two daughters, Jessica and
Allison Schumer. Due to redistricting, Schumer represented NY’s 16th
district from 1981 until 1982, the 10th district from 1983-1992, and
the 9th district from 1993-1998. During his time in the House of Representatives,
Schumer sponsored and even authored some bills that gave him a reputation of
being someone who is a crime fighter and consumer advocate. One of the bills he
authored was the Omnibus Crime Bill in 1994 that put 100,000 new cops on the
street to combat violence and also established after-school programs for teens
to keep them out of trouble. He was also an advocate and leading sponsor for
the Violence against Women Act which helped to protect women from domestic and
sexual violence, and the Brady Bill that made it mandatory to have background
checks for people who wanted to buy handguns.
In 1998, Schumer was elected to the U.S. Senate where he
is currently serving as NY’s Senior Senator. During his time as a Senator, Schumer
continued to work at bills and issues that he found important. One of the first
things Schumer did was publicize that he would be visiting every county in New
York so he could stay in close contact with his constituents. This is something
that he has continued to do throughout his terms. He is committed to improving
the economy of New York and since September 11, 2001 has brought over $20
billion in aid. Schumer is a strong advocate for strengthening the bond between
Israel and the U.S. and has fought for various agricultural agencies for NY
farmers and crop growers. Schumer also published a book in 2007 about Democrats
relating to middle class voters called Positively
American. Schumer currently sits on more than ten committees. Some in which
include the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the Joint Committee on Printing,
which he is the Chairman for, and the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. This
year alone he has sponsored 32 bills and co-sponsored 135 bills.
References
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