Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement on how the historic federal relief he has delivered for New York has led to New York receiving more back from Washington than the state has sent in taxes, according to the NYS Comptroller. 

This is the third year in a row that New York has had a positive balance of payments, after a long history of facing the opposite and sending more to Washington than it received:

“For decades and decades, New York State paid more to the federal government in taxes than we got back. My mentor, the late Senator Moynihan always decried this imbalance. But now for the third year in a row, thanks to the historic federal investments I passed — especially from the American Rescue Plan— New York is getting back more from the feds than it paid in taxes,” said Senator Schumer. 

“When I became majority leader, I vowed to fight this imbalance, and I am proud I secured billions in relief and investments for New York. And after I led the effort to pass into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law, my CHIPS and Science bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act, more federal investment will be headed to New York, something I’ll continue to fight for. It’s never been more clear: it pays to have the Senate majority leader from New York.”

Genesee County is embarking on an ambitious mission to ensure universal broadband access, with the County Legislature demonstrating unwavering determination to reach every unserved address point.

County Manager Matt Landers personally engaged with leadership in each of the thirteen towns with unserved residents, leaving no address point overlooked in the pursuit of connectivity.

In a significant stride towards enhancing the quality of life for all residents, businesses, and educational institutions, Genesee County has approved a contract with Charter Communications Inc. to spearhead the deployment of high-speed internet infrastructure.

“This project will help close the digital divide in Genesee County and will bring gigabit broadband connectivity to over seven hundred residents and small businesses,” said Mark Fitchett, Regional Vice President of Operations at Charter. “We look forward to building our network and serving new customers.”

The Genesee County Legislature, in conjunction with the County Manager, has designated $2 million from the county's $11.1 million allocation of ARPA funds to support the broadband project. Allocation of ARPA funds must adhere to criteria established by the US Treasury Department. Senator Schumer has been a vocal advocate for infrastructure and broadband investments, and his proactive approach has played a pivotal role in securing the resources essential for advancing this project. 

“Access to reliable, fast internet service is not a luxury, but a necessity. In my first major act as Majority Leader, I led the American Rescue Plan to passage with billions to help hard-hit communities recover from the darkest days of the pandemic and make long-term investments to strengthen their communities, including essential infrastructure like broadband,” said Senator Schumer. 

“I am proud that Genesee County is leveraging $2 million of the overall $11.1 million in ARPA funding I delivered to finally close the digital divide in Genesee County and get Finger Lakes residents and businesses the service they require in the modern economy. Today is the start of connecting Genesee County to the future and a better quality of life for all families in every corner of the county to access the high-speed internet they need to succeed.”

The broadband expansion project aims not only to connect every corner of Genesee County, but also to elevate the overall quality of life in our communities. By increasing access to online resources, educational opportunities, telehealth services, and economic development prospects, the County is paving the way for a more vibrant and inclusive future. 

"Our contract with Charter Communications marks a significant milestone in our efforts to ensure equitable access to high-speed internet for all residents, students, families, businesses, and government entities in Genesee County," remarked Shelley Stein, Chair of the Genesee County Legislature. "With Senator Schumer's unwavering support and tireless efforts, we are poised to usher in a new era of connectivity and opportunity for all."

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced he has secured $15 million in federal funding for New York State to help install new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at over 200 locations across the state.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program, which the senator created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act. Schumer said the project will support the growing demand for electric vehicle use, lower air pollution, and reduce the overall environmental footprint of New York by ensuring residents and visitors throughout the state have easy access to charge EVs during their daily routines and at popular destinations.  

“New York just got a major jolt from the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to power up brand new electric vehicle charging stations across the entire Empire State. Electric vehicles are booming in popularity, and for this industry to succeed we need to make charging your car as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank, today’s investment will help us to do just that by bringing more charging stations to where people work and to popular tourist destinations across New York,” said Senator Schumer.

“When I led the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to passage, it was investments like these — that help boost the state’s economy and improve air quality — that I had in mind. New York, under Governor Hochul’s leadership, is leading the way to build out our nation’s network of EV chargers, supercharging the fight against climate change and getting us on the road to a cleaner future.”

“Reducing transportation emissions and transitioning to electric vehicles is key to meeting our nation-leading climate goals,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State is accelerating access to strategically placed EV infrastructure as we continue to advance clean, healthy transportation options. This funding from the Biden Administration will ensure residents and visitors alike have the latest charging technologies available to suit the needs of all travelers and communities across the state.”

Schumer said the federal funding for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will help support both Level 2 chargers which are suitable for charging over longer periods, and Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) for quick charging. This federal funding will allow New York State to award grants to communities and projects across New York State on a competitive basis for projects that support Level 2 charging stations at more than 200 locations, including state parks, hotels, additional tourist destinations, state office buildings, and municipal parking lots throughout the state. 

In addition, competitive awards using this federal funding will also help be able to be used for Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) chargers in up to six small- to medium-sized cities and workforce development initiatives to train New Yorkers to install and maintain charging stations.

Schumer has been a relentless champion for expanding electric vehicles, helping bring production back from overseas, and expanding charging infrastructure for all communities. In the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, that Schumer led to passage, he successfully secured $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers, including an estimated $175 million over the next 5 years in funding for EV charging stations for New York State. 

New York’s first federally funded rapid charging EV station was installed last month. Earlier this week, Schumer also announced $700,000+ for Oneida County to install new EV charging infrastructure, and $15 million for NYCDOT to build an EV charging depot in the Bronx, from the same grant program funding was awarded today.

Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Senator Schumer led to passage, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI program) $2.5 billion over five years to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work, in both urban and rural areas, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.

Designed to accelerate the deployment of transformative projects that will help to ensure the reliability of the clean energy infrastructure, this charging infrastructure program will ensure all American communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity anytime, anywhere.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the launch of the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) new J-1 Visa Waiver Program, an initiative the senator has long pushed for which can help recruit and bring more highly needed physicians to rural Upstate New York. 

Schumer said the new program will help address the healthcare provider shortage in New York and beyond by easing the visa requirements for physicians who are trained in the U.S. and agree to practice in underserved areas of the Northern Border Region. 

He said NBRC will recommend the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waive their “two-year home-country physical presence requirement” for eligible physicians seeking to work at healthcare institutions and practices in New York and other states within the NBRC territory.

"This is just what the doctor ordered to help recruit more highly qualified physicians and a major step to helping address the national healthcare worker shortage we are seeing in rural communities across America and in Upstate NY. Rural communities from Penn Yan to Plattsburgh, know the struggles of healthcare worker shortages all too well. This long awaited initiative will help provide rural and underserved areas across Upstate New York with quality, affordable healthcare by working to address ongoing physician staffing shortages,” said Senator Schumer. 

“I am proud to have advocated for this program, and to be leading the charge to help the NBRC get the increased support it needs to continue vital programs like this. I will never stop fighting to ensure that every New York community, regardless of its size, has access to the quality medical care it needs.”

The NBRC will consider recommending a waiver on behalf of eligible J-1 physicians who will work in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). 

Eligible physicians will work in primary or mental health care for at least three years and 40 hours per week within a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designated HPSA or MUA of the Northern Border Region. The program is modeled, in part, after the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) successful J-1 Visa waiver program.

Schumer has a long history of championing the Northern Border Regional Commission and its positive economic impacts on the North Country and broader Upstate New York regions. Earlier this year, Schumer announced nearly $11 million in federal funding for twelve projects across the North Country and Upstate New York through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) – the largest annual investment for Upstate NY in the program’s history. The historic increase in funding for the NBRC is a direct result of the funding Schumer was able to deliver in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law. 

In 2021, the senator secured $150 million for the NBRC in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, over triple its funding from previous years. For context on how large the historic nearly $11 million investment in Upstate NY is this year, from 2010-2022, the NBRC invested in over 60 projects totaling over $28 million in investment for Upstate New York. Last year, the NBRC awarded $5.8 million for projects in Upstate NY. 

The NBRC’s 2023 Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. The Commission made a historic level of funding available through the program this year, with up to $45 million in grants, including up to $20 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that communities across Upstate NY were able to tap.

Press Release: 

After standing with Upstate NY dairy farmers in Central NY, the North Country, and the Finger Lakes, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today revealed that he has secured an extension for the vital Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program dairy farmers rely on, that was set to expire this year, and which could’ve left farmers facing a “dairy cliff,’ cutting off payments to farmers and harming consumers by raising the price of milk. Schumer secured the extension of the Farm Bill in the Continuing Resolution budget deal which President Biden signed today.

“Our dairy farmers are the beating heart of Upstate, and when they came to me worried that this year we could be going over the ‘dairy cliff,’ I immediately started ringing the cowbell and promised I would churn up support to ensure these payments wouldn’t lapse. I helped enact the Dairy Margin Coverage Program in the 2018 Farm Bill, and I am proud to have secured this vital year-long extension while we work to develop a bipartisan Farm Bill in the next year,” said Senator Schumer. “Today our dairy farmers can breathe a sigh of relief and raise a glass of Upstate NY-made milk and more thoroughly enjoy this Thanksgiving.”

Schumer explained the “dairy cliff” refers to the expiration of the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, a risk management tool that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. The dairy industry would be the first impacted, as dairy farmers would lose out on monthly payments through the DMC, whereas farmers participating in other support programs are paid just once per year around harvest time. If we went “over the dairy cliff” that would have meant an end to monthly price support payments to dairy farmers who participate in the Dairy Margin Coverage program, supply chain disruptions causing increased milk prices, and potentially billions in wasted government spending as the federal government would be forced to make milk purchases at a highly inflated price.

Schumer fought tooth and nail to include a one-year Farm Bill extension in the Continuing Resolution budget deal and ensure dairy farmers were protected from going over the cliff at the end of the year. The extension keeps the vital Dairy Margin Coverage Program intact for another year to protect NY’s critical dairy industry while also giving members of Congress extra time to continue to work through the negotiations for the full Farm Bill.

The dairy industry is one of New York's largest contributor to the agricultural economy. According to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Dairy statistics, there are approximately 3,200 dairy farms in New York that produce over 15 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth largest dairy state.

Press release:

Following his personal meeting in China with President Xi Jinping last month, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today detailed how the new deal President Biden has struck with China to crack down on the scourge of fentanyl could be a major step forward to curb the opioid crisis in New York, but said now more than ever it is imperative to hold China accountable and ensure there is compliance with their commitments. 

“The agreement President Biden has announced with China is a long overdue step which has the potential to help cut off the supply of fentanyl at its source and stop this drug before it ever enters our country and hits the streets of New York, but now it is more vital than ever to hold China accountable for the commitments they have made,” said Senator Schumer. “Fentanyl has wreaked havoc in New York and across America, with this crisis stemming in large part in China, where large chemical companies openly and illicitly sell precursor chemicals to buyers in places like Mexico, where it is manufactured and illegally shipped to our most vulnerable communities here in NY. During my visit to China last month, we were pointed and direct with President Xi, I told him the devastating impact I have seen the opioid crisis have on New York families. I am pleased to see China take what could be a major step forward to cut off the flow of fentanyl, and I am going to be watching like a hawk for progress.”  

Specifically, Schumer explained China has said it will take new action to enforce its own regulations against the companies that make precursor drugs in a major step to potentially cut off the flow of this deadly drug. A similar notice to the industry in 2019 led to a drastic reduction in seizures of fentanyl shipments to the United States from China. Schumer said the U.S. also has information that that PRC police have taken law enforcement action against Chinese synthetic drug and chemical precursor suppliers.  As a result, certain China-based pharmaceutical companies ceased operations and have had some international payment accounts blocked.  This probably represents the first law enforcement action against synthetic drug-related chemical sellers by Chinese authorities since 2017. 

In addition, China and the United States will be launching a counter-narcotics working group to bolster law enforcement and information sharing to cut off the flow or precursor drugs and illicit fentanyl. The U.S. and China have both said they will also start working on an ongoing basis at the senior level to directly address this crisis and start working closely together to carry this initiative forward. In conjunction, Schumer said these long overdue steps have real potential to reduce the flow of these drugs into the United States and places like New York, and ultimately save lives.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take action on the national milk carton shortage hitting dairy farmers and schools in New York and states across the country. 

Schumer urged the USDA to not only ensure NY dairy farmers have the technical support they need to get through the shortage, but also to work with industry leaders to devise creative solutions to get milk to our school lunchrooms and to investigate the shortage to stop disruptions like this from happening in the future and minimize downstream impacts.

“Milk is an essential part of our students’ school lunches and the lifeblood of our Upstate NY agricultural economy, but with a national milk carton shortage looming over our schools, now is the time for the USDA to step up to ensure our farmers get more support to continue their essential work. That is why I am calling on the USDA to start to work with industry leaders to address this shortage we are seeing nationwide, and provide all the leadership and technical support needed to help our New York dairy farmers,” said Senator Schumer. “The USDA is uniquely positioned to investigate this problem from a national level and work with the dairy industry, our farmers, and schools to mitigate the impacts of shortages and propose solutions.”

John T. Gould, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. President and Chairman of the Board of Directors said, “Our 260 dairy farm families are encouraged by our team’s efforts to continue to supply our milk to our school customers.  It has required hard work, coordination and cooperation to meet their needs.  We thank Senator Schumer for his support in recognizing the critical importance of milk in the nutritional needs of children and adults. We appreciate his efforts and concern in solving this packaging dilemma in a timely fashion.”

Amy Thomas, Executive Director of the Monroe County School Boards Association said, “We want to thank Senator Schumer for his advocacy on behalf of our schools and students. Our districts are working diligently along with our dairy suppliers to find solutions to this shortage, and we are grateful for Senator Schumer’s efforts to ensure these disruptions are addressed.”

Schumer explained that there is currently a nationwide shortage of half-pint milk cartons impacting New York’s dairy industry. He said that while there is not a shortage of milk, there is a supply chain problem with the cardboard cartons, consequently inhibiting suppliers’ ability to provide milk to schools and other customers in NYS and across the country. In school lunchrooms, milk is required to be served with every meal according to USDA nutrition standards. 

While schools are currently working with suppliers to figure out temporary solutions to ensure schools are receiving enough milk and student’s nutritional needs are being met, Schumer says now is the time for the USDA to work with industry and our dairy farmers to find solutions. 

It is currently unclear how long the shortage could last, which is why Schumer says it’s imperative  the USDA take immediate action and proactively work on the problem to ensure that farmers and dairy suppliers across New York have the support and technical assistance needed to minimize the impacts of the shortage on their business and ensure milk can continue to be provided to schools across America.

Schumer added, “Given the potential downstream impacts of disruptions to the milk packaging supply chain we also need the USDA to investigate the causes of this carton shortage to determine how we can avoid further disruptions to our dairy farmers and any further steps we can be taking to mitigate problems of this nature in the future.”

Schumer emphasized that New York State is home to more than 3,200 dairy farms and is the country’s fifth largest dairy state, producing 15.66 billion pounds of milk in 2022. The dairy industry is a driver of significant economic impact in New York and is also a large part of the state’s culture. He said it is vital that we protect this critical industry and ensure it has the support it needs to weather these disruptions until the supply chain recalibrates.

Schumer explained that dairy producers across New York are also feeling the impact of the national shortage and are deeply concerned about getting their milk to consumers. The Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a significant industry supplier of half-pint milk carton packaging, is experiencing operational challenges that are negatively impacting their ability to supply schools with milk packaging orders. 

The shortage is forcing them to seek alternative, creative solutions, like switching other institutions, such as hospitals and nursing homes, from half-pints to larger sizes of milk containers, in order to meet schools’ demand. The Co-op is also offering half-gallons of milk to schools as an alternative. 

Schumer said that New York’s dairy industry is the cream of the crop, as the largest single segment of the state’s agricultural industry. The state has more than 3,200 dairy farms, is the fifth-largest producer of milk, and is the largest producer of yogurt and cottage cheese in the nation.

After years of relentless advocacy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region has just won the prestigious federal Tech Hub designation he created in the CHIPS & Science Act, putting Upstate NY further on the road to becoming America’s semiconductor superhighway. 

Schumer pulled out all the stops to bolster the tri-city region to beat out hundreds of other applications in the nationwide competition. The proposal called the “NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub” will build on the historic investments Schumer delivered that have spurred a boom in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation across Upstate NY and with today’s designation, will now be in an exclusive group of only 31 regions in America to compete for potentially billions in federal funding to transform Upstate NY as a global hub for workforce training, innovation, and manufacturing of semiconductor technology.

“Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are officially on the road to becoming America’s semiconductor superhighway. I created this program with Upstate NY in mind, and now three of our own cities that helped build America, have not only won the exclusive federal Tech Hub designation for semiconductors but also won a once-in-a-generation opportunity to write a new chapter for Upstate NY building our nation’s future. This 3 region Tech Hub will hit the gas on NY’s booming chips industry by attracting new companies, training our workforce for tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and bringing manufacturing in this critical industry back from overseas to right here in Upstate NY,” said Senator Schumer. 

“I pulled out all the stops to land this Tech Hub Designation for my great home state – making the case that bringing together these three cities and giving them the resources to combine forces would create an unstoppable engine that will rev the region’s industries to life and make Upstate NY a global center for semiconductors. With this Tech Hubs Designation highlighting the region as one of only a few in the country primed to be the next Silicon Valley in critical technology, combined with federal funding now flooding this triple-threat region, America’s semiconductor manufacturing industry truly couldn’t be in better hands.”

Schumer originally proposed the Tech Hubs program years ago as part of the bipartisan Endless Frontier Act with Upstate NY in mind to help bring critical industries back from overseas in communities that have great potential to lead in new technologies and finally was able to create the Regional Tech Hubs competition in his CHIPS & Science Bill. 

Schumer has been a tireless advocate for the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region proposal, personally writing and calling Commerce Secretary Raimondo multiple times to make the case that Upstate NY is best suited to help drive forward the nation’s semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries.

Schumer said that the three-region consortium beat out hundreds of applications and was one of only 31 regions chosen for the Tech Hub designation. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal will now be able to compete for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program that will invest between $50 and $75 million in each of 5 to 10 Designated Hubs.

Schumer secured an initial infusion of $500 million in last year’s spending bill to jumpstart the Tech Hubs competition, from which Phase 2 awards will be made. The CHIPS & Science Bill included a $10 billion authorization for the Tech Hubs program – meaning that designated Tech Hubs will be able to compete for significantly more investment based on future funding levels.

Schumer said that with this designation, the NY SMART I-Corridor will bring together the combined assets of Buffalo, Rochester,u and Syracuse to help the region become a globally recognized semiconductor manufacturing hub in the next decade, with innovation focused on improving the quality and quantity of semiconductor manufacturing and, along with it, amplifying the region’s microelectronics and microchip supply chain ecosystem.  The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes over 80 members from across the public sector, industry, higher-ed, economic and workforce development, and labor. This includes over 22 industry groups and firms, 20 economic development organizations, 8 labor & workforce training organizations, and 10 institutions of higher learning.  This application development process was led by three designated conveners, one from each region: The John R. Oishei Foundation in Buffalo, ROC2025 in Rochester, and CenterState CEO in Syracuse.

Specifically, the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal seeks to propel the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse corridor by attracting new suppliers to the region, including onshoring companies from overseas, advancing research & development programs for the semiconductor industry, training the next generation of Upstate New York’s manufacturing workforce, and specifically helping ensure that underserved populations are connected to the tens thousands of good-paying jobs expected to be created in this growing industry in the region.

Schumer has been preparing Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse for this opportunity, working relentlessly to boost Upstate New York as a global tech leader. Schumer’s tireless advocacy has resulted in billions in proposed investments from the semiconductor industry spurred by his Chips & Science Bill. In the Syracuse region alone, Micron has announced plans to invest an historic $100 billion to build a cutting-edge memory fab expected to create nearly 50,000 jobs. In Western NY, Edwards Vacuum will invest $300+ million to build a 600 job U.S. dry pump manufacturing facility to supply the semiconductor industry. With Schumer’s direct advocacy, Buffalo has already received $25 million for its growing tech industry through the American Recue Plan’s Build Back Better Challenge, laying the foundation for the Tech Hub designation they have now secured. In the Rochester region, Corning Incorporated, which manufactures glass critical to the microchip industry, has already invested  $139 million in Monroe County – creating over 270 new, good-paying jobs in the Finger Lakes region.

Members of the consortium include semiconductor manufacturers and supply chain business like Micron, INFICON, Corning, Optimax, AMD, TTM Technologies, Saab, Akoustis, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Edwards Vacuum, Linde, Lifatec and SRC; business organizations like NY Photonics with 120-member companies, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) with 85-member companies, Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance (BNMA), and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce; education and research institutions like University of Buffalo, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe Community College, Syracuse University, Cornell , SUNY Oswego, SUNY ESF, SUNY EOC, and Onondaga Community College; workforce development partners like Centerstate CEO, Northland Workforce Training Center, RochesterWorks, RMAPI, UNiCON, WNY Area Labor Federation, Central-Northern New York Building and Construction Trades Council, IBEW Local 43, and many more.

After years of relentless advocacy to bolster Upstate NY’s innovation and manufacturing industries, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the Rochester-Buffalo-Syracuse region have joined forces with a proposal to become a federally-designated Tech Hub in the first-of-its-kind nationwide competition created in his CHIPS & Science Bill. 

The proposal, entitled the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation Corridor Consortium (NY SMART I-Corridor), would build on the historic investments Schumer delivered that have spurred a boom in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation investments in Upstate NY. 

The three-region proposal would use targeted federal assistance to help attract new companies, strengthen domestic supply chains, launch startups & support innovation, expand workforce training, connect underserved communities to good-paying jobs, and revive this critical industry integral to America’s national security and economic competitiveness. 

Schumer has personally written to Commerce Secretary Raimondo on behalf of Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, making the case that their proposal is best suited to help drive forward stronger semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries for the entire nation.

“From Rochester to Buffalo to Syracuse the I-90 corridor has everything it takes to become America’s semiconductor superhighway. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hubs proposal would tap into Upstate NY’s booming microchip industry, training our workforce for tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and supercharging R&D, all while helping attract new major employers in supply chain industries and bringing manufacturing in this critical industry back to America,” said Senator Schumer. 

“Each city has superb academic centers and each brings with it a unique set of assets with Micron’s historic investment in Central NY, Rochester as one of the leading centers in research & innovation, and Buffalo as one of the great manufacturing powerhouses that built America in the last century and is primed to do the same this century. Together they are a killer combination that can make Upstate NY a global leader for semiconductors with targeted federal investment from the Tech Hubs program. I originally proposed the Tech Hubs program years ago as part of my bipartisan Endless Frontier Act with Upstate NY in mind, and was proud to create the Tech Hubs competition in my CHIPS & Science Bill. This proposal is everything I envisioned, ensuring America’s future is being built in the places that helped build our nation as powerhouse manufacturing centers, and nowhere is better primed and more capable than Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse to rebuild this critical industry for our nation.”

Schumer explained that the first-of-its-kind nationwide Tech Hubs Competition is an economic development initiative that he originally proposed in his Endless Frontier Act. The senator was able to finally create the competition in his CHIPS & Science Bill, which included a $10 billion authorization for the Tech Hubs program and was signed into law just over a year ago. 

Schumer secured an initial infusion of $500 million in last year’s spending bill to jumpstart the competition. The competition is designed to strengthen a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and grow technology in 10 key focus areas. The program will invest directly in regions with the potential to transform into globally-competitive innovation centers in the next decade to bring critical industries back from overseas and create good-paying jobs for American workers.

Schumer said the NY SMART I-Corridor proposal would bring together the combined assets of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse to help the region become a globally-recognized semiconductor manufacturing hub in the next decade, with innovation focused on improving the quality and quantity of semiconductor manufacturing and, along with it, amplifying the region’s microelectronics and microchip supply chain ecosystem.  

Schumer explained that the Tech Hubs program is being rolled out in two phases. The first phase of awards that the NY-SMART I-Corridor has applied for will designate promising Tech Hubs across America and provide strategy development grant awards to accelerate their development— the joint Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse proposal has applied for both types of awards. 

The EDA expects to designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country, and only those that receive the Tech Hubs designation in the first phase will be able to apply for Phase 2 implementation awards. These awards are designed to be larger, multi-tens of millions of dollars each for a first infusion, in order to fund several key initiatives to make the Tech Hub a success.

The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes over 80 members from across the public sector, industry, higher-ed, economic and workforce development, and labor communities.  This includes over 22 industry groups and firms, 20 economic development organizations, 8 labor & workforce training organizations, and 10 institutions of higher learning.  

Press Release:

Following several recent major fentanyl busts in Orleans County, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today launch a major new push to upend the flow of fentanyl in Orleans, Western NY, and the Finger Lakes-Rochester area.

Schumer detailed the new bipartisan legislation, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, he included in the Senate-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would not only allow President Biden to place sanctions on China for its role in contributing to our nation’s fentanyl epidemic and declare international fentanyl trafficking a national emergency. 

Schumer is now demanding that the House pass the measure to combat the flow of fentanyl from China and Mexico before it reaches places like Orleans County and Upstate NY.

“From Buffalo to Rochester to right here in Orleans County, fentanyl continues to take the lives of far too many New Yorkers each and every day. We must make getting this deadly drug off of our streets and out of the U.S. a top priority, and the just passed Senate defense bill provides a rare window of opportunity to do just that,” said Senator Schumer. 

“That’s why I’m now calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to quickly pass this measure and help upend the flow of fentanyl overseas, far before it reaches places like Orleans County and Western NY. By including the FEND Off Fentanyl Act in the NDAA and ensuring that we can place tough sanctions on China for turning a blind eye to this issue and giving these deadly exports the green light, I am working to keep our communities safe in Upstate NY and across the nation. Too many lives have been lost, and too many others are at stake, especially here in New York.”

“The opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis is a significant public health and public safety issue,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “Over the past five years, there have been 53 fatal overdoses in Genesee County and 23 fatal overdoses in Orleans County, with additional deaths still pending official causes of death. In 2022, 83% of all fatal opioid overdoses in both counties involved fentanyl, which demonstrates how serious this problem is in our communities. This trend is something that is also seen across New York State and throughout the nation. I applaud Senator Schumer for his support of this amendment that will include stopping the spread of illegal fentanyl at its source.”

Joseph V. Cardone, Orleans County District Attorney said, “In my 31 years as District Attorney this fentanyl crisis is by far the most devastating issue law enforcement has had to combat.  While not one gram of this poison is produced in this Country it is daily killing our youth in every community in America.  Clearly stopping fentanyl from entering our country needs to be a priority.”

Schumer said the Senate passage of the NDAA bill just days ago included a bipartisan plan to officially declare international fentanyl trafficking a national emergency and give the president special powers to impose tough sanctions on China, Mexico, or any other relevant fentanyl supply chain hub. The House passed its own version of the National Defense Authorization Act earlier in July, but now that Schumer has passed NDAA in the Senate, lawmakers will need to reconcile the Senate bill and the House bill by negotiating a compromise version that can pass both chambers.

Fentanyl is trafficked into the United States primarily from China and Mexico, and is responsible for the ongoing fentanyl epidemic in Upstate NY and across the country. China is the world’s largest producer of illicit fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and their immediate precursors. 

From China, those substances are shipped primarily through express consignment carriers or international mail directly to the United States, or, alternatively, shipped directly to transnational criminal organizations in Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean. Some officials estimate that China is responsible for over 90 percent of the illicit fentanyl found in the U.S.

Schumer explained to disrupt the flow of illicit opioids into the United States, he pushed to include the FEND Off Fentanyl Act into the just-passed Senate defense bill. The bill does the following:

1. Declares that the international trafficking of fentanyl is a national emergency.
2. Requires the President to sanction transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels’ key members engaged in international fentanyl trafficking.
3. Enables the President to use proceeds of forfeited, sanctioned property of fentanyl traffickers to further law enforcement efforts.
4. Enhances the ability to enforce sanctions violations thereby making it more likely that people who defy U.S. law will be caught and prosecuted.
5. Requires the administration to report to Congress on actions the U.S. government is taking to reduce the international trafficking of fentanyl and related opioids.
6. Allows the Treasury Department to utilize special measures to combat fentanyl-related money laundering.
7. Requires the Treasury Department to prioritize fentanyl-related suspicious transactions and include descriptions of drug cartels’ financing actions in Suspicious Activity Reports.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. It is short-acting and cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled when mixed with other drugs. While pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed for severe pain and end-of-life care, non-pharmaceutical fentanyl is produced illicitly and is now common in the illicit drug supply. 

The presence of non-pharmaceutical fentanyl in Orleans County, Western NY, and the Finger Lakes has dramatically increased the number of overdose deaths, and fentanyl is now the “leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old.”

Since 2020, Orleans County has seen 14 deaths from opioid overdoses, 76 outpatient emergency department visits, and 558 admissions to OASAS-certified substance abuse disorder treatment programs. Several recent examples have underscored the prevalence and danger of fentanyl in Orleans County. 

Earlier this year, 48 members of a local drug ring were charged for selling fentanyl and other opioids across the Finger Lakes region and Orleans. Law enforcement seized more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl and 10 kilograms of cocaine, $9 million worth of illegal drugs. 

Similarly, a raid earlier in the year seized 114 fentanyl pills disguised as other drugs, and just last month, U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced the guilty plea of a dealer who intended to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl into both Medina and Rochester. Back in 2018, the rate of overdose deaths jumped to 27.1 per 100,000 – much higher than state and national averages. That number prompted health department officials and others to allocate more resources to the problem.

Looking at the broader region, in 2022 alone, the Finger Lakes saw 295 deaths from opioid overdoses, 843 outpatient emergency department visits, and 5,744 admissions to OASAS-certified substance abuse disorder treatment programs.

Similarly, the Buffalo/Western New York saw 410 deaths from opioid overdoses, 856 outpatient emergency department visits, and 5,036 admissions to OASAS-certified substance abuse disorder treatment programs. In 2021, nearly 107,000 Americans died from an overdose, and 65% of overdose deaths were caused by fentanyl. 

Last year alone, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl - enough to supply a lethal dose to every American.  

Additionally, Xylazine has been a contributing factor in fatal overdoses across Monroe County for years, with over 180 deaths tied to the lethal drug since 2019. Xylazine opioids caused 59 fatal overdoses in Monroe County and 3 in Wayne County in 2022 and were suspected in 10 fatal OD cases earlier this year in Wayne County. Erie County had 17 confirmed Xylazine deaths since 2022. Xylazine has also been found in drugs seized in cases in Orleans and Genesee County beginning in 2019. Xylazine was involved in four opioid-related deaths In Orleans County and Xylazine was involved in 6 opioid-related deaths in Genesee County. 

Schumer has also been sounding the alarm on the spread of Xylazine, a dangerous, skin-rotting drug that has been making its way to Upstate NY streets, already taking the lives of hundreds of New Yorkers. After a horrific wave of overdoses and deaths in Upstate NY tied to Xylazine earlier this year, Schumer stood with local law enforcement and health officials in communities across the Finger Lakes and Upstate NY to call for further federal action. 

In April, the Biden Administration heeded Schumer’s calls and declared xylazine an emerging threat to the United States, a major step in eradicating the illicit supply of the deadly drug once and for all. 

This past June, the Senate took another major step in the fight against xylazine by passing the ‘TRANQ Act,’ which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research and other activities related to identifying xylazine, develop new tests for detection, and establish partnerships with organizations on the front lines of this battle.

Most recently, the Biden Administration took even further action implementing many of the actions Schumer highlighted releasing a new Xylazine Response Plan, to coordinate an inter-agency governmental response to help build the treatment, data, and research capabilities that are needed to help those impacted by xylazine.

“I’m glad the Biden administration has laid out a plan to fight the insidious spread of this Narcan-resistant, skin-rotting, zombie drug. This is a major step in the fight to eradicate this awful scourge in Orleans and across Western NY once and for all,” Schumer added.

“This plan will save lives. I know it won’t be easy to get xylazine off our NY streets for good, and ultimately, we will need more funding for prevention, recovery, and treatment programs for those struggling with addiction. That’s why I am committed, now more than ever, to continuing to push for Congress to provide the necessary funding to increase resources that fight this epidemic on the front lines and rid communities in Upstate NY and across the nation of this terrifying drug.”

The new action taken outlined in the Xylazine Response plan includes increased resources for:

• Testing - Improve the xylazine testing being conducted in community and law enforcement settings, which is currently uneven across the United States, impeding the development of a full national threat picture. Improved clinical testing to detect xylazine in drug products and postmortem toxicology settings will provide important information about this emerging threat.
• Epidemiology and Comprehensive Data Systems - Gather additional information to inform, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive and coordinated public health and public safety response, including xylazine sourcing and determining to what degree persons are encountering xylazine alone or xylazine-adulterated products.
• Evidence-Based Prevention, Harm Reduction, and Treatment Implementation and Capacity Building - Address the concerning health challenges associated with xylazine by developing and disseminating best practices based on emerging clinical efforts with patients exposed to xylazine, evaluating potential xylazine overdose reversal strategies, and prioritizing efforts to educate and equip healthcare providers and first responders on best practices to treat flesh wounds associated with xylazine.
• Source and Supply Information and Intelligence; and Supply Reduction Actions - Help inform public health and public safety officials about the sources of xylazine in the illicit drug supply chain and markets in the United States by determining whether it is diverted from legitimate supplies and/or synthesized for illicit use, enhancing ability and jurisdiction to regulate the supply chain, and identifying and develop additional targeted and coordinated law enforcement actions and efforts to reduce the illicit supply of xylazine.
• Regulatory Control and Monitoring Options - Assess regulatory options to disrupt the production, distribution, illegal sale and trafficking, and exposure to illicit xylazine, as the particular chemical nature of this non-opioid tranquilizer may pose challenges for traditional methods of testing drugs in scheduling decisions.
• Basic and Applied Research - Conduct research to evaluate as quickly as possible potential xylazine antidotes in humans, drug-drug interactions, population-level health, social, equity, and economic drivers and consequences of exposure to fentanyl adulterated with xylazine, and identify the most promising clinical stabilization, detoxification, and treatment protocols. 

Schumer has a long history of fighting for additional resources to support law enforcement and boost addiction recovery services. Most recently, he secured $445 million for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) grants, an increase of $30 million from FY22. 

He secured $16 million for the COPS anti-methamphetamine program and $35 million for the COPS anti-heroin task force that helps ensure the safety of local communities. He also secured $302 million for the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program in this year’s budget. 

In addition, Schumer led the fight to secure $44.9 billion to address opioid abuse in the most recent Omnibus, an increase of over $345 million over the previous year. That includes nearly $1.6 billion in State Opioid Response grants, $100 million more for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment program, $111 million for medication-assisted treatment programs, $145 million for programs targeted towards rural communities, and more.