Charles Schumer

Press Release:

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.

Press Release:

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.

Press Release:

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.

Sen. Charles Schumer traveled to Har-Go Dairy in Pavilion on Monday to warn that without passage of a 2023 Farm Bill, a program that helps dairy farms stay in business could expire in September.

Dairy Margin Coverage, a kind of insurance program that is taxpayer-subsidized but also funded by fees paid by dairy farmers, helps keep milk and cheese prices stable for consumers.

“Loss of the program,” Schumer said, "would cause huge supply chain disruption and market panic, which means less available milk. The price of milk would go way up. So even if you don't even have a farmer in your family, even if you don't even know a single farmer, you will be hurt if this program goes out because the price of milk will go up and all the other things that milk is used in would go up as well. The cost of milk could potentially double."

DMC is a voluntary risk management program for dairy farmers. It pays producers the difference in the price of milk, which is regulated by the federal government, and the cost of feed. It helps ensure that dairy farmers don't suffer catastrophic losses if feed prices rise unexpectedly.  Feed for dairy cows is a commodity with prices set by global markets.  Any sort of international crisis, whether political or environmental, can cause prices to spike.

"We don't want these small farmers to be buffeted about and actually put out of business by international forces that are beyond their control," Schumer said.

Schumer noted that employers such as HP Hood and O-AT-KA Milk Products, along with other businesses in Genesee County that are dependent on the dairy industry, employ more than 1,000 people locally.

"And we all know that milk from happy, healthy Uupstate New York cows tastes better than the milk from anywhere else in the nation," Schumer said.

The Farm Bill, which is renewed by Congress every five years, is in jeopardy because of greater partisanship, with harder lines being drawn, in Washington, Schumer said.

"There's a group of people who just want to just cut all the spending across the board," Schumer said. "Instead of just looking at where the waste is, and keeping good programs like this one. Usually, we prevail. But this year, things are pretty hot in Washington. That's why I'm here. I'm making a big push to make sure this program is sustained."

Shelley Stein, a dairy farmer in Le Roy and chair of the Genesee County Legislature, said maintaining the DMC is critical to the survival of the area's dairy farms, and the cost of the program is just a sliver of the overall spending authorized by the Farm Bill.

"Ninety-eight percent of the Farm Bill is used and directed to programs that feed people in America, and only two percent of that entire bill goes into farm programs,” she said. “So, only two percent of the spending goes to make sure that we can feed the rest of America."

An announcement today by Sen. Charles Schumer, while in Pavilion to talk about dairy farms and the pending 2023 Farm Bill, that he has secured $670 million for New York to expand broadband access is good news for Genesee County, said Shelley Stein.

A dairy farmer, Stein is also chair of the Genesee County Legislature.

She said the county is committed to spending $7.2 million to run wire to 1,578 addresses (of about 31,000 address points) in the county that do not currently have access to high-speed internet. The county already secured a $3 million grant to cover part of the cost of the project, and the Legislature was concerned it would need to take on debt to fund the rest of the project.

"For us, it means, perhaps, we will not have to bond the rest of that, which is great news today," Stein said.

It's the furthest reaches of rural Genesee County that don't have broadband, and a big part of New York's share of the broadband funding will go to rural areas, Schumer said.

"This is the largest single investment in broadband history in New York," Schumer said. "It's game-changing. For too long, residents across New York State, from Buffalo to Rochester to Albany to rural areas in particular, like here where we're standing in Genesee County, have lacked sufficient access to fast, reliable, affordable high-speed internet."

Ensuring everyone has fast, reliable internet is as essential to communities today as electricity was more than a century ago, Schumer said.

"Broadband is for the 21st century," said the Senate's majority leader. "You need it everywhere. Your kids need it to go to school, our local hospitals need it to do telemedicine, individuals need it for their small businesses, and farmers need it so they can keep up with the latest weather and other reports that they so desperately need. We have had too many people who either don't have broadband or when they do, it becomes too expensive, so they can't afford broadband."

The state will need to present a plan to the federal government on how the $670 million will be allocated throughout the state and the Commerce Department will need to approve the plan, Schumer said.

"I fought very hard to make sure that broadband was in the bipartisan (infrastructure) bill," Schumer said. "It started out as the old-time bill with stuff for roads, bridges, highways, rail. That's needed, and it's in the bill, but I said, we also need broadband because that's part of the 21st-century way of commerce."

Press release:

After an all-out push launched to save federal funding for New York Fire Departments, standing with firefighters from the Capital Region to the Southern Tier, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, which would save this vital lifeline has passed the Senate.

Schumer explained the main federal firefighter funding programs - the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program – which help hire new firefighters and purchase lifesaving equipment, are both at risk of being eliminated this year.

Schumer, who helped create these programs, said the new bill, which has now passed the Senate, would extend this funding through Fiscal Year (FY) 2030, preserving this critical funding that has delivered over $682 million to firefighters across the Empire State. 

“When our New York fire departments smelled smoke on how devastating these cuts would be, I traveled to every corner of the state standing with our firefighters to sound the alarm. Everyday our brave firefighter in Upstate New York risk their lives to keep their communities safe, and I promised to use all my clout as majority leader to hold feet to the fire and lead this bill to passage; And a promise made is now a promise kept,” said Senator Schumer. “Since the start of the AFG and SAFER programs, which I helped create, New York has received nearly $700 million in federal funding through these critical federal lifelines. That is money for new fire trucks, better equipment, and to hire more firefighters in the Upstate communities that need them most. I’m proud to have led the Fire Grants and Safety Act to passage in the Senate, and I will continue fighting tooth and nail to ensure that NY firefighters get the federal support they need to keep our communities safe for years to come.”

Schumer traveled across Upstate New York, from the Capital Region to the Southern Tier to the Hudson Valley, to sound the alarm on the potential elimination of this lifesaving federal funding for NY fire departments, promising he would not relent until the bill had passed the Senate. Schumer originally created the AFG Program in 2002, which later expanded to also include the SAFER and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program, and the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) programs.

Schumer explained that these federal programs have been a lifeline for firefighters and have become essential to their continued operations. Fire departments, especially those in Upstate New York, often face budget shortfalls and extremely high costs that mean they cannot purchase the modern equipment they need to combat emergencies to keep firefighters safe. Schumer said that the AFG and SAFER grants have positively benefited fire departments in every corner of Upstate New York, and with the passage of the Fire Grants and Safety Act, NY firefighters will continue to receive the federal support they need to purchase lifesaving equipment and hire more firefighters throughout Upstate.

Specifically, the Fire Grants and Safety Act reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program through Fiscal Year (FY) 2030. The bill also extends the sunset for both SAFER and AFG from 2024 to 2032 and increases the authorization for the U.S. Fire Administration by about $20 million, while maintaining the authorized funding level for SAFER and AFG at $750 million, each.

The senator is now calling on the House of Representatives to quickly take up the legislation he led to passage in the Senate, and to get the bill to the President’s desk ASAP to be signed into law.

Schumer said, “Now the House needs to quickly take up the Fire Grants and Safety Act and pass this vital legislation so fire departments across America can continue to receive the federal support they desperately need, and I will not stop turning up the heat until this vital legislation for our firefighters becomes law.”

Since the start of these programs in 2002, the grants have delivered nearly $700 million in federal funding to NY firefighters. Schumer said that losing this funding would be felt especially hard for firefighters across Upstate New York, who have received over $78.5 million in federal funding through these programs in just the past three years.

Schumer said that if the programs were to cease that would mean lifesaving equipment and the hundreds of New York firefighters that have been hired, or recruited in the case of volunteer departments, thanks to this funding might never have happened. For example, last year, the Troy and Saratoga Springs fire departments received nearly $8 million to hire 30 new firefighters, and in 2019, the Buffalo Fire Department received nearly $10 million to hire 50 new firefighters. Over the past few years, multiple fire departments have received millions to purchase new ladder trucks, radio systems, self-contained breathing apparatus devices, cardiac monitoring devices, and other lifesaving equipment.

A five-year grant of just under a half million dollars per year will fulfill the city school district’s ambitions to hire more social workers for each school building, focus on family engagement and work to increase student mental and behavioral support, district leaders said Thursday.

The grant was announced by Senator Charles Schumer as part of $3.6 million of Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grants distributed by the U.S. Department of Education. Batavia City Schools was the only district in Genesee County to receive this funding.

The grant of $488,761 is for the first year, with an expected total of  $2,499,777 during the course of the five-year grant period.

Other areas of the overall student mental and behavioral support goals will be to “increase readiness for school, increase student attendance and achievement and increase student community connectedness,” Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers said.

“These goals also include encouragement of family engagement in each student’s education,” she said. “We will be using the funds to hire additional social workers at each of our school buildings. These positions will allow us to expand the reach of our Community Schools program with the goal of breaking down barriers for students and families to help ensure student success.

“We will continue to focus on family engagement activities that are culturally responsive, empowering, and provide support to families,” she said.

Buildings include Robert Morris, Jackson Primary, John Kennedy Intermediate, Batavia Middle and High schools, and district leaders “hope to sustain this plan after the grant period,” Rogers said.  

Long-term goals for the grant funding include:

• Increase the educational case management for students who are academically at-risk or chronically absent.  
• Increase student access to mental and behavioral health support.
• Increase student readiness for school and student academic achievement.  
• Ensure that graduating seniors are college and career ready.   
• Work to reduce the academic achievement gap between demographic groups and increase student-family-community connections

Community Partners include:

• GLOW YMCA
• GCASA
• ARC GLOW
• BCSD Foundation
• Genesee Community College
• Genesee County Business Education Alliance
• Genesee County Departments of Health and Mental Health
• Richmond Memorial Library
• United Way
• Partners in Restorative Initiatives
• Children's Institute
• GLOW Workforce Investment Board
• Cornell Cooperative Extension 
• Along with our 90+ informal partners  

The grants will provide funding for New York’s community schools to hire more social workers, expand mental health services, offer high-quality tutoring for students who need extra support, and foster trust and support within the community through family programming, Schumer said in a press release issued Thursday. New York State was awarded four grants, which will go towards improving the quality of education in Batavia City School District, Belleville Henderson Central School District, Sodus Central School District, and Booker T. Washington Community Center of Auburn.

“I am proud to deliver this funding to New York’s students, families, and communities, and I will always fight hard to ensure that the next generation has the tools they need to build prosperous and fulfilling lives,” Schumer said.

Dr. Molly Corey, executive director of Curriculum and Instruction, believes this grant provides an opportunity “to strengthen the core foundation” of Batavia City Schools.

This morning's announcement that Edwards Vacuum is going to build a $319 million dry-pump manufacturing facility at WNY STAMP is a good indication, said Sen. Charles Schumer, that there are more high-tech companies who will choose to locate new plants at the park.

"We had a good chance before landing Edwards and now those chances are even better," Schumer told The Batavian during an exclusive interview.

Edwards is a major player in the semiconductor industry, Schumer said, and the decision by the company's CEO, Geert Follens, helps validate STAMP as a viable option for other companies in the semiconductor supply chain as well as a semiconductor fabricator.

The British-based company makes the vacuums that help keep chip manufacturing clean rooms clean.

"Once you land a serious company like this, other semiconductor companies are going to take notice," Schumer said.

Schumer is the author of the CHIPs and Science Act, which provides $52 billion in manufacturing grants and establishes a 25 percent investment tax credit for increasing semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. 

That bill, Schumer said, was a significant factor in the decision by Micron Technologies to build a major chip manufacturing plant near Syracuse and Micron's selection of New York helped STAMP beat out a competing site in another nearby state for the Edwards facility, Schumer said. 

Phase One of Edwards Vacuum’s 240,000 square-foot campus includes manufacturing, warehouse and administration.  The company is expected to employ 600 people and the state and federal financial incentives tied to the deal require Edwards to meet that employment goal.

Edwards will also negotiate a PILOT agreement (a reduction in property taxes on the increased value of the property in exchange for payments to local governments), along with sales tax, and mortgage tax abatements with GCEDC.

In an interview with The Batavian yesterday, GCEDC Steve Hyde said there was a major announcement coming soon (which came a lot sooner than he suggested) about STAMP, and he also said there are about 20 companies with some interest in STAMP and another five or six with serious interest.

Schumer agreed with that assessment.

"There is a lot of interest in STAMP," said Schumer, a big baseball fan. "We have to land them but we're on third base and getting ready to score."

File photo of Sen. Charles Schumer at WNY STAMP in August 2020 calling for passage of the CHIPS Act. Photo by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Governor Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer today announced that Edwards Vacuum, a British-based world leader in vacuum and abatement equipment in the semiconductor industry and part of the Atlas Copco Group, has chosen the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP), located in Genesee County, as the location for their new $319 million, U.S. dry pump manufacturing facility. The dry pump technology that will be produced at the new facility is a vital component to controlling the highly sensitive environment of semiconductor manufacturing processes. Phase One of Edwards Vacuum’s 240,000 square-foot campus include manufacturing, warehouse and administration. This new commitment from a global leader in the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain to invest in New York State builds on the announcement that Micron is investing an unprecedented $100 billion in Central New York.   

“This major investment from Edwards Vacuum builds on our momentum to secure New York as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing,” Governor Hochul said. “On the heels of Micron’s $100 billion commitment to Central New York, as well as New York’s Green CHIPS legislation and the federal CHIPS and Science Act, we are better positioned than ever to make New York a global hub for advanced manufacturing and attract the jobs of the future. I am thrilled to welcome Edwards Vacuum to Genesee County and look forward to working with them, as well as our local, state, and federal partners, as they make New York their home.”

“The CHIPS And Science Act delivers for Upstate New York again,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.  “I am thrilled to announce Edwards Vacuum, a major player in semiconductor supply chain, will soon power Genesee County with an over $300 million plant and 600 good-paying jobs!  From Micron’s major investment in Central NY and Wolfspeed’s new fab in Marcy, to onsemi soon beginning in the Hudson Valley and GlobalFoundries building a new fab in the Capital Region, and now Edward’s supercharging our semiconductor supply chain at Western New York’s STAMP site, Upstate is becoming the global hub for the chip industry. I told Edwards Vacuum’s top brass last month there was no better site than STAMP to locate a new plant and I’m glad they heeded my call.  With my CHIPS and Science Act as the lighting rod, we are now seeing energy flow into Upstate’s manufacturing sector like never before, and this investment will further cement that the future of microchips will be built with American-made products, crafted by New York workers.”

Kate Wilson, President of Edwards’ Semiconductor business, said, “I am delighted that we are announcing this new facility in the state of New York. Against a backdrop of growing demand, clearly showing a greater need for investment in manufacturing capabilities that are located close to our customers, we continue to commit significant investment in our operational footprint. This is critical to ensure we retain our position as the vacuum and abatement partner of choice to the global semiconductor industry.”  

Edwards Vacuum will provide internal training and education, allowing every employee to explore and advance their career opportunities. Additionally, Edwards is committed to recruiting entry-level employees from disadvantaged communities and partnering with existing community-based recruitment and training programs, to provide both soft skills and technical skills that will provide employment opportunities that have not been available in those communities previously. 

STAMP is a 1,250-acre mega site at the forefront of green manufacturing growth in New York. Developed to provide high-capacity, low-cost renewable electricity in a strategic location in the Buffalo-Rochester Tech Corridor, STAMP has attracted over $500 million of investment  by innovative companies. With over 500 available buildable acres on-site, 1.1 million people within 30 miles, and 30,000 annually enrolled engineering students at nearby colleges and universities, STAMP is positioned to accelerate New York’s growing semiconductor manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and renewables manufacturing industries. 

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Attracting supply chain partners in the semiconductor industry is key building a stronger ecosystem in New York State. Edwards Vacuum’s choice of STAMP for its new facility further cements New York State as a leader in the semiconductor industry.” 

New York Power Authority Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Edwards Vacuum’s STAMP investment is a testament to New York’s emergence as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Securing reliable supply chain partners is critical to the semiconductor industry, and projects like this showcase the unique attributes of New York that will help the industry grow here.” 

As part of the agreement with Edwards Vacuum, ESD has offered up to $21 million in a combination of performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits, Investment Tax Credits and an additional $1 million to support Workforce Development and the training of a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce in exchange for 600 new full-time jobs at the location  Additionally, the New York Power Authority Board of Trustees will review an application for low-cost Niagara hydropower at a future public meeting. 

Edwards Vacuum is anticipated to apply for agreements at a later date with the Genesee County Economic Development Center to support the company's investment at STAMP through property, sales, and mortgage tax assistance. The request would support the largest workforce and capital investment proposed by any company at a GCEDC-developed site. 

Last month, Senator Schumer personally called Edwards Vacuum President, Geert Follens, to urge the global semiconductor supply chain company to expand in Upstate New York. Senator Schumer's bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, creates an Investment Tax Credit for semiconductor manufacturing facilities and supply chain partners such as Edwards Vacuum as well as a first of its kind $52 billion in federal incentives to spur American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce training to bring good-paying jobs back from overseas, strengthen national security, and reestablish America's technological leadership. The bill requires recipients of these incentives to make significant worker and community investments that support equitable economic growth. Edwards Vacuum is expected to also apply for incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act.  Schumer has long supported STAMP’s development and to attract new semiconductor and advanced manufacturing companies to locate at STAMP.  Schumer said these new federal and state investments are creating a new ‘Erie Canal’ across upstate New York by attracting thousands of new jobs in the semiconductor industry from the Hudson Valley to Western New York’s STAMP. 

Semiconductors, and their supply chain partners, are vital to the nation's economic strength, serving as the brains of modern electronics, and enabling technologies critical to U.S. economic growth, national security, and global competitiveness. The industry directly employs over 277,000 people in the U.S. and supports more than 1.8 million additional domestic jobs. Semiconductors are a top five U.S. export, and the industry is the number one contributor to labor productivity, supporting improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of virtually every economic sector — from farming to manufacturing. Earlier this year, Governor Hochul signed New York's nation-leading Green CHIPS legislation into law to attract top semiconductor manufacturing businesses to the state and secure commitments to good-paying jobs, sustainability, and community benefits.

Supply chain issues and a decline in the United States' share of global chip production are causing undue hardships to every aspect of the economy. This erosion of U.S. chip production capacity puts the nation at a strategic disadvantage in several critical areas, including national security, technological innovation, and economic growth and independence. Because more than 300 industries use chips — from cars to cellphones — their scarcity drives up prices of other consumer goods. Edwards Vacuum’s new facility will position New York State as a national leader in reshoring vital semiconductor jobs to the U.S. 

Genesee County Legislature Chair Shelley Stein said, “We are so proud that STAMP will be the location of the largest economic development investment in the history of Genesee County. On behalf of my colleagues in the Genesee County Legislature we welcome Edwards Vacuum to our community and look forward to their success here and the career opportunities they will provide for our hard-working residents. This announcement demonstrates the diligent focus of Genesee County to plan, prepare and welcome 21st-century manufacturing to our county.” 

Town of Alabama Supervisor Rob Crossen said,  “Our shared vision through the development of STAMP is to play a role in bringing new jobs and investments to Genesee County and to improve the quality of life for our residents. The latter has begun through enhanced infrastructure improvements, especially as it pertains to water services, and we’re pleased that STAMP and our community is attracting advanced manufacturing companies and good paying jobs.” 

Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy and SUNY Geneseo President Denise Battles said, "We congratulate Edwards Vacuum on this incredible project, and welcome them to the state-of-the-art Western NY Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park in Genesee County. These top-quality jobs will help to energize the regional economy, furthering its reputation as the center of technology and progress.

Steve Hyde, Genesee County Economic Development Center President & CEO, said, “There is a saying that economic development is a marathon and not a sprint and that has been our approach to STAMP ever since it was a concept on paper over a decade ago. That’s why it is so gratifying to see how that steady and purposeful approach is resulting in a significant return on the investment that has been made through the years by our public and private sector partners and in particular by Senator Schumer and Governor Hochul by this announcement today. This announcement shows that STAMP and our region are the ideal location for semiconductor industry growth.” 

Greater Rochester Enterprise President and CEO Matt Hurlbutt said, “Edwards Vacuum, an innovative vacuum equipment manufacturer that serves the semiconductor industry, is expanding at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the Greater Rochester, NY region to capitalize on this mega site’s unique infrastructure, which includes reliable, low-cost hydropower and unlimited water supply. Rochester, NY is also attractive because of the concentration of highly skilled talent with mechanical and electrical engineering expertise and regional workforce development partners who offer stackable credential programs and certificate programs to train Edward Vacuum’s future workforce. GRE connected Edwards Vacuum to numerous economic development resources to support this expansion in Rochester and will continue to support the company as this project unfolds.” 

This major investment adds to New York's already robust semiconductor industry. In addition to Micron’s major $100 billion investment in Central New York, New York has multiple global industry chip leaders like GlobalFoundries, Wolfspeed, onsemi, and IBM. New York is also home to the world-renowned Albany Nanotech Complex, which is a multibillion-dollar public-private partnership, comprising the most advanced, publicly owned, 300-millimeter semiconductor research and development facility and bringing together premier universities and leading industry players to drive cutting-edge chip development. Because of the tireless advocacy of Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer, semiconductor supply chain companies like Edwards are also growing as well. Earlier this year Corning Incorporated invested $139 million, creating over 270 new jobs in Monroe County to meet the demands of the growing semiconductor market.

About Edwards Vacuum  
Edwards is the leading developer and manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products, exhaust management systems and related value-added services. These are integral to manufacturing processes for semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells; are used within an increasingly diverse range of industrial processes including power, glass and other coating applications, steel and other metallurgy, pharmaceutical and chemical; and for both scientific instruments and a wide range of R&D applications. 

Edwards has more than 8,000 employees worldwide engaged in the design, manufacture and support of high technology vacuum and exhaust management equipment and has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and North America. 

Edwards is part of the Atlas Copco Group (NASDAQ OMX Stockholm: ATCO A, ATCO B), a Sweden-based provider of industrial productivity solutions. 

Further information about Edwards can be found at www.edwardsvacuum.com 

The pandemic exposed a weakness in the U.S. economy, Sen. Charles Schumer said today while at a car dealership in Genesee County -- not enough computer chips are manufactured in the U.S., leading to a shortage in the semiconductors that help cars, along with phones, computers, and appliances, run.

Currently, only 12 percent of chips are manufactured domestically, according to Schumer, compared to 37 percent in the 1990s.

Many foreign competitors, including China, are investing heavily to dominate the industry, Schumer said. Nearly 75 percent of global semiconductor production is now occurring in East Asia, and foreign government subsidies drive the majority of the cost difference for producing semiconductors overseas and in the U.S.

In response, Schumer, the majority leader in the Senate, introduced the CHIPS and Science Act, which with the president's signature this past week, is now law.

It provides over $50 billion in federal incentives to get more chips made in the U.S.

"We say (in the bill), not only do they have to make the chips here, but they can't make any more of them in China," Schumer said. "That is very, very good for America. We're saying we want to build the future in Batavia, not Beijing, in Syracuse, not Shanghai. So I wrote this legislation with upstate in mind."

Schumer is bullish on WNY STAMP, the 1,250-acre technology park that is now shovel-ready in the Town of Alabama.  He believes that before long, there will be a semiconductor plant at the park.

"Companies are seeing upstate New York is the place to be," Schumer said. "We hope there'll be many more. And we're fighting very hard to get one at STAMP. It is seen as a great opportunity at some of the chip companies -- I'm not allowed to say who -- but they have already visited here a couple of times. The bottom line is that manufacturing chips here in New York has the potential to be our 21st century Erie Canal."

He promised to do everything he can to attract chip manufacturers to upstate New York.

"We have more shovel-ready sites, including the STAMP facility right here in Genesee County than any place in the country," he said. "I'm gonna use my clout as majority leader in making (upstate New York) the center of the country with $5 billion of federal money for all of our semiconductor advanced research and development, which attracts people here. We have a great workforce here. We have great universities here. We have cheap water and cheap electric power, which these chip plants need as well, so you put that all together, and we are ideally suited now that this bill passed."

From a press release, highlights of the legislation:

Specifically, Schumer highlighted that the bill includes:

• $39 billion for the CHIPS for America Fund to provide federal incentives to build, expand, or modernize domestic facilities and equipment for semiconductor fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging, or research and development to help attract major chip manufacturers to shovel-ready sites like STAMP in Genesee County.  
• $11 billion for Department of Commerce research and development including creating a National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) a public-private partnership to conduct advanced semiconductor manufacturing, with Albany Nanotech primed to be a top contender to serve as a major hub for the NSTC, and other specialized R&D programs that universities across the state are in a strong position to compete for.
• $2 billion for the DoD CHIPS for America Defense Fund.
• $200 million for the CHIPS for America Workforce and Education Fund to kick start the development of the domestic semiconductor workforce, which faces near-term labor shortages, by leveraging activities of the National Science Foundation.
• A new Investment Tax Credit for semiconductor manufacturing facilities and equipment.

Schumer explained that New York is uniquely suited to take advantage of these federal investments to reassert America’s global technological leadership. New York is currently home to over 80 semiconductor companies that employ over 34,000 NY workers, including global industry leaders like GlobalFoundries, Wolfspeed, onsemi, IBM, and other major microchip and innovation companies that support them like Corning Inc. in Monroe County which just announced a $139M, 270 job expansion in anticipation of this bill. Schumer said investments like these are only the beginning though, and now that his bill has finally become law, the ripple effects from more chip fabs and their supply chains being built in places like Upstate New York will give companies like Baxter and the American economy the stability it needs to avoid shocks like this again in the future. 

Every part of Upstate New York, including Genesee County, will benefit from his bill to spur development in computer chip and technology manufacturing, Sen. Charles Schumer said today during an online press conference with reporters from throughout New York.

Upstate has more shovel-ready business park sites than any other region in the nation, and WNY-STAMP is among those sites drawing interest from semiconductor manufacturers with the likely passage of this bill, Schumer said.

"There are a whole number of companies that were thinking of going overseas to Europe or to Asia, that with this bill have now said they're going to locate in the United States," Schumer said in response to a question from The Batavian. "We have some of the great sites including the STAMP site in Batavia and we're going to do everything we can to lure them. And remember, they depend on the Commerce Department to get some grants for this. These are large grants, and I am going to, as Majority Leader, I think, I'll have some say with the Commerce Department."

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 creates $50 billion in funding designed to provide financial assistance to chip manufacturers and other technology companies to build factories in the United States.

The bill passed the Senate today and Schumer, who authored the bill and has doggedly pursued it for a long time, said it will easily pass in the House of Representatives.

Schumer pushed for passage, he said, because the U.S. must beat China in chip manufacturing and because he believes spurring innovative growth in high-tech will benefit all of New York, especially Upstate New York.

"I wrote this bill with the future of Upstate New York in mind," Schumer said. "The bill creates $50 billion in federal incentives to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the US. And guess what place in America is most suited to get these plants? Upstate New York. There are places in Albany and Syracuse and Western New York that have shovel-ready sites that the big tech companies are already looking at for new chip fabs."

So far, China has been winning the chip manufacturing war, Schumer said. He wants to shift the momentum back to the United States.

"It's time to build our future in Syracuse, not Shanghai; in Buffalo, not Beijing," he said.

He said the odds are high that semiconductor manufacturers are going to look to Upstate New York for their new plants, which will employ thousands of people in high-paying jobs.

"We're gonna go all out and we're going to beat China," Schumer said.

WNY STAMP, located in Alabama near the intersection of Route 77 and Judge Road, is more than 1,100 acres set aside for advanced manufacturing.  GCEDC has been pursuing tenants for the park for more than a decade, and after coming close with 1366 Technologies in 2015 (a project that failed, according to sources, because of then Rep. Chris Collins' unwillingness to support it), the IDA succeeded last year when Plug Power agreed to make a $232.7 million investment to build a new hydrogen fuel plant at the site.

Steve  Hyde, president and CEO of GCEDC, said the agency is pleased with the passage of the bill.

"Senate Majority Leader Schumer has long-championed upstate New York as the ideal region for critical growth of the domestic semiconductor manufacturing and R&D investments due to our university research and talent, our established and ever-growing semiconductor supply chain, along with our considerable capacity of renewable, reliable, and competitively priced electricity," Hyde said in a statement. "We applaud Senator Schumer for his leadership, and stewardship in getting Congress to pass the Chips and Science Bill, which will be the catalyst to growing the high-tech economy at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and all across upstate New York."

For all prior coverage of WNY Stamp, click here.

For a press release from Sen. Charles Schumer with more details about the bill, click here.

UPDATE:  The Hill is reporting that because of a deal between Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Charles Schumer on a reconciliation bill, Republican members of the House of Representatives will now, as of Wednesday evening, oppose the CHIPS bill.

Top photo: Sen. Charles Schumer in a screenshot of today's press conference.

Aerial photo courtesy GCEDC showing Plug Power under construction and the WNY STAMP acreage. 

Press release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act has officially been signed into law. The bill extends child nutrition waivers that give essential funding and flexibility to schools, daycares, nonprofits and other meal providers enabling them to continue providing free meals to students this summer. Schumer explained Congress originally authorized the child nutrition waivers at the height of the pandemic to give school food programs the flexibility needed to feed as many students as possible, but the waivers were set to expire on June 30^th, putting many school districts’ summer meal programs at risk at a time when kids often face the greatest food insecurity. Now thanks to this new legislation the waivers will be able to continue, ensuring an estimated 800,000 New York students receive healthy nutritious meals throughout the summer. 

“No child should ever go hungry, and now schools will have the funding and flexibility needed to ensure kids stay healthy and fed this summer. Over 800,000 New York students and millions of children across the country depend on these waivers for daily meals, and this bill gives our schools the support they need to continue to provide free nutritious meals and the flexibility they need to operate amidst the ongoing supply chain challenges,” said Senator Schumer. “Summer is often the time of year when food insecurity is highest for children and this support comes just in the nick of time. I am proud to have led the Senate to ensure these waivers could continue curbing childhood hunger and giving our families the peace of mind they need to not worry about where their kids’ next meal is coming from this summer.”

Schumer explained that in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Congress authorized the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive various school meal program requirements for school districts and increase reimbursement rates so that schools and meal program operators could continue to feed children. This allowed school districts across New York to make sure students got meals all year long, including during the summer and bolster food programs for those who need it most without having to worry about additional hits to their already strained school district budgets.

These critical child nutrition waivers, however, were set to expire this week on June 30, 2022. A recent USDA survey showed that 90% of school districts food programs are depending on these waivers to offer free meals, with 92% experiencing supply chain issues and a quarter experiencing staffing challenges for their nutrition programs.

The fully paid for Keep Kids Fed Act, which has now passed the Senate and has been signed into law by President Biden was first introduced by Senator Stabenow (D-MI) and Senator Boozman (R-AR) and will now extend many of the flexibilities enacted during COVID over the summer, enabling schools to continue to feed students and provide schools increased support to address food insecurity and the ongoing supply chain disruptions facing nutrition programs.

Specifically, Schumer said the bill will:

·       Extend flexibilities for summer meals in 2022 which will make it easier to feed all students, especially students in rural areas, during the summer months through options like meal delivery and grab-and-go.

·       Increase the reimbursement rate for school lunch and school breakfast to help offset the increased cost of food and operating expenses. Schools will receive an additional 40 cents for each lunch and 15 cents for each breakfast served.   

·       Help daycares and home providers in the Child and Adult Care Food Program offset increased costs by providing an additional 10 cents per meal or snack.

·       Extend some of the administrative and paperwork flexibilities for schools through the 2022-23 school year to help schools streamline their meal operations and operate amidst supply chain disruptions

Press release from Sen. Charles Schumer:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today released the following statement on the announcement of a bipartisan gun-safety framework:

 “Today’s announcement of a bipartisan gun-safety framework is a good first step to ending the persistent inaction to the gun violence epidemic that has plagued our country and terrorized our children for far too long. Once the text of this agreement is finalized, I will put this bill on the floor as soon as possible so that the Senate can act quickly to advance gun-safety legislation.

“As the author of the Brady-background checks bill, I am pleased that for the first time in nearly 30 years Congress is on the path to take meaningful action to address gun violence. I applaud Senators Chris Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema, John Cornyn, and Thom Tillis for their leadership in these discussions and the bipartisan group of Senators who worked in good faith to reach this agreement.

“This important legislation will limit the ability of potential mass shooters to quickly obtain assault rifles by establishing an enhanced background check process for gun purchasers under age 21, invest in the adoption and expansion of state red flag laws, close the boyfriend loophole, establish federal penalties for gun traffickers, and fund critical support services to help address our nation’s mental health crisis. After an unrelenting wave of gun-related suicides and homicides, including mass shootings, the Senate is poised to act on commonsense reforms to protect Americans where they live, where they shop, and where they learn. We must move swiftly to advance this legislation because if a single life can be saved it is worth the effort.”

Press release from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand:

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today issued the following statement on the announcement of a bipartisan gun safety deal:

“The bipartisan gun safety announcement is an important step toward tackling the gun violence that plagues our communities, schools, hospitals and places of worship. Throughout my career, I have fought for legislation to strengthen background checks, combat gun trafficking up the Iron Pipeline, close the boyfriend loophole and fund mental health services— I’m grateful that this deal includes many of these important commonsense measures. I am proud of Senator Murphy, Senator Cornyn and the entire bipartisan group that worked together to craft this important package, and I look forward to working with them to get it through Congress and onto the President’s desk.”

Press release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today launched a major push to make New York State home to the nation’s first Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law. In a direct letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Schumer explained how New York is already a national leader in hydrogen energy production and research, with North America’s largest green hydrogen production facility currently being constructed in Western New York by Plug Power. Schumer said that if selected for federal investment, the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub would mean thousands more clean energy jobs in New York and major federal investment to cement New York as a leader in the fight against climate change and the future of carbon-free energy production.

“From WNY, Rochester, and the Capital Region to Long Island, New York is leading the nation in hydrogen energy production sparking innovative research that is literally turning water into carbon-free power for electricity, fuel cells, and so much more. That is why I wrote to Energy Secretary Granholm directly to make it clear that New York has all the right ingredients to be the nation’s first-ever Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub and fuel America’s clean energy future,” said Senator Schumer.

Schumer added, “When I led the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to passage with an unprecedented $9.5 billion federal investment to expand the hydrogen industry, I had in mind innovative companies like Plug Power in Upstate New York and the potential to create thousands of good-paying clean energy jobs in communities that need it most. New York’s powerhouse workforce, top tier research institutions, and easy access to the renewable energy needed to produce green hydrogen make it uniquely suited to supercharge and lead the federal government’s efforts to secure the nation’s spot as a global leader in clean hydrogen production to power our fight against climate change.”

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $8 billion for the Department of Energy to establish four or more Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to demonstrate the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen. Today’s two Requests for Information from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy points to how important it is that New York quickly coordinate the most compelling proposal for a New York-centered Hydrogen Hub. In addition, the law also makes several new critical investments in hydrogen fuel and clean energy, including:

• $1 Billion for a new Department of Energy Electrolyzer demonstration, commercialization and deployment program to improve the efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing clean hydrogen using electrolyzers.
• $500 million for a new Department of Energy clean hydrogen manufacturing recycling program to foster a clean hydrogen domestic supply chain in the U.S. 

Senator Schumer has been leading the charge to expand clean hydrogen production in New York. In 2020, Senator Schumer made a personal call to Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh pushing for the company to select Upstate New York for the site of its newest factory instead of a site in another state that was in contention.  In December 2020, Schumer announced that Plug Power had heeded his call and selected Monroe County as the site for its new ‘gigafactory,’ a hydrogen fuel cell component R&D and manufacturing plant, bringing $125 million and nearly 380 jobs to the Finger Lakes region. The new ‘gigafactory’ will manufacture hydrogen fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers, which will be used to power a variety of electric vehicles and to generate power from renewable green hydrogen.

Schumer also called on the Department of Energy to support Plug Power’s newly proposed plan to construct a $290 million hydrogen facility at the Western NY STAMP site in Genesee county and personally visited the site in September. Plug Power’s new production facility at STAMP will produce green hydrogen to supply fuel-cell-powered equipment and vehicles such as freight transportation and logistics handling equipment.

Press Release:

With COVID’s Omicron variant spreading and Upstate New York overwhelmed by the latest surge, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today launched a major push to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expand testing capacity and support for Upstate communities.  Schumer made a personal call to FEMA Assistant Administrator Keith Turi and Acting FEMA Region 2 Administrator Chad Gorman to urge them to deploy 200 mobile testing sites in New York, 100 across New York State and an additional 100 in New York City. Schumer said that expanding access to testing is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19, especially as we enter the peak of holiday travel and the heart of the harsh winter months.

“Upstate New York is seeing record high COVID cases, and with variants like Omicron already here, we must stop the spread in its tracks and that means testing testing testing. That is why I am calling on FEMA to immediately deploy mobile testing sites across Upstate New York, to give struggling communities the support they need to keep their residents safe,” said Senator Schumer. “Especially as people travel over the winter holidays, easy access to testing is critical to ensure the safety of themselves and loved ones. FEMA must provide Upstate communities the support they need to protect public health and to stay ahead of this variant into the winter.” 

New York State today saw a record over 28,000 new coronavirus infections over a 24-hour period, signifying a significant increase in case counts from just a week ago.

Schumer’s request comes on the heels of his successful push for the federal government to provide free at-home tests to New York community health centers & mobile sites. President Biden announced earlier this week that the federal government woulddeliver 500 million free at-home rapid testing starting in January. Schumer said that these at home testing kits in tandem with 200 mobile testing sites in the communities that need them most is vital to protecting the health of New Yorkers.

“We now have the testing infrastructure and tools we didn’t have early on in the pandemic,” said Schumer. “It’s one of the keys to stop this surge and keep recovery going.”

According to the World Health Organization, the most effective steps individuals can take to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus is to keep a physical distance of at least 6-feet; wear a well-fitting mask; open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces; keep hands clean; cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue; and get vaccinated.

 

A copy of Senator Schumer’s original letter to FEMA appears below:

 Dear Administrator Criswell:

I write today to ask for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) assistance as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent increase in cases due to the Omicron variant. The spike in cases has brought upon an increased demand for testing that is sure to strain the already robust testing infrastructure in New York City. In addition to supporting the City of New York’s request for an increased supply of at-home test kits, I ask that FEMA authorize the opening of 100 mobile test sites in New York City, and 100 additional mobile test sites across the rest of the state, including in Long Island.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, FEMA has played a central role in New York City’s fight against COVID-19. While I am grateful for these efforts and for the work of FEMA staffers, I ask that FEMA continue this partnership and build on its efforts as cases increase due to the Omicron variant. On December 21, 2021 New York City recorded its highest 7-day daily average of cases at nearly 9,500 cases. As reports of daily cases and hospitalizations continue to trend upward, it is vital that FEMA provide the City with the necessary resources to help slow this spread. With more testing capabilities in the form of at-home kits and testing sites, the City can better gauge the trends of this variant and provide more accurate guidance and information to residents.

Thank you again for your leadership and assistance over the past year as New York and the nation continue battling COVID-19. FEMA has been an invaluable partner in combatting this pandemic and I ask that as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly you continue this partnership and swiftly provide New York City the increased at-home testing kits requested in their letter to the Administration and authorize the opening of 100 testing sites across the City and 100 additional sites across the State.  

I appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to your response. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions

 

Press release:

With COVID’s Omicron variant spreading and Upstate New York overwhelmed by the latest surge, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer launched a major push to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expand testing capacity and support for Upstate communities.  Schumer made a personal call to FEMA Assistant Administrator Keith Turi and Acting FEMA Region 2 Administrator Chad Gorman to urge them to deploy 200 mobile testing sites in New York, 100 across New York State and an additional 100 in New York City. Schumer said that expanding access to testing is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19, especially as we enter the peak of holiday travel and the heart of the harsh winter months.

“Upstate New York is seeing record high COVID cases, and with variants like Omicron already here, we must stop the spread in its tracks and that means testing testing testing. That is why I am calling on FEMA to immediately deploy mobile testing sites across Upstate New York, to give struggling communities the support they need to keep their residents safe,” said Senator Schumer. “Especially as people travel over the winter holidays, easy access to testing is critical to ensure the safety of themselves and loved ones. FEMA must provide Upstate communities the support they need to protect public health and to stay ahead of this variant into the winter.”

New York State yesterday saw a record over 28,000 new coronavirus infections over a 24-hour period, signifying a significant increase in case counts from just a week ago.

Schumer’s request comes on the heels of his successful push for the federal government to provide free at-home tests to New York community health centers & mobile sites. President Biden announced earlier this week that the federal government would deliver 500 million free at-home rapid testing starting in January. Schumer said that these at home testing kits in tandem with 200 mobile testing sites in the communities that need them most is vital to protecting the health of New Yorkers.

“We now have the testing infrastructure and tools we didn’t have early on in the pandemic,” said Schumer. “It’s one of the keys to stop this surge and keep recovery going.”

According to the World Health Organization, the most effective steps individuals can take to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus is to keep a physical distance of at least 6-feet; wear a well-fitting mask; open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces; keep hands clean; cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue; and get vaccinated.

Press release:

Even as Majority Leader, in the midst of a global pandemic, and while leading some of the biggest & boldest legislation in our country’s history, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, today completed his 23^rd consecutive tour of all 62 New York State counties. Schumer was the first New York State public official to visit every single county in New York, an accomplishment he holds proudly, and a tradition he has continued each year he has been in office.

Over the course of the year, Schumer made 93 county visits to Upstate New York and Long Island. He visited counties in the Capital Region 14 times; Western New York 7 times; Central New York 10 times; the Rochester-Finger Lakes 14 times; the Southern Tier 10 times; the Hudson Valley 14 times; the North Country 9 times; and Long Island 15 times. In addition, due to COVID travel restrictions, which greatly reduced the number and frequency of visits this year, Senator Schumer also conducted countless virtual meetings with groups and residents across New York.

“Twenty-three years ago when I made the promise to visit every county every year, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine doing it as Majority Leader, let alone in the midst of a global health and economic pandemic. Although I’ve gained a new title as Majority Leader this year, my favorite two remain: New York senator, and more importantly, New Yorker,” said Majority Leader Schumer. “Now, as New York’s first Senate Majority Leader, this mission has become even more vital and allowed me to deliver for my beloved home state in bigger and better ways because of all I learn from my constituents. As New York continues to feel the impacts of a global health pandemic, visiting all 62 counties pushed me to fight even harder to help New Yorkers recover and build back stronger. Over this year much has changed – the American Rescue Plan I led to passage provided New York the robust COVID relief needed to help jump start our recovery. To name but two elements, we passed a historic Childhood Tax Credit that cut child poverty in half, and we passed billions for Save Our Stages, which provided a vital lifeline to all our cultural organizations and performance spaces that were the first to close and last to open. We passed the largest investment in infrastructure in our nation’s history, which will repair and upgrade New York’s road, bridges, highways, transportation, broadband, and water systems like never before. This year, more than ever before, I was reminded how resilient New Yorkers are. New Yorkers have experienced tremendous hardship, from 9/11 to Superstorm Sandy to COVID, but time and time again, we are resilient, even in our darkest days, and we rebuild and come back stronger than ever.” 

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Schumer added, “At the close of twenty-three years, my beliefs are as clear as ever: ‘Senators who stay in Washington and never return home are simply not doing their job.’ That’s why I bike the streets and go to all of the parades, graduations, and occasionally crash a neighbor’s block party for a plate. Whether I’m at the State Fair in Syracuse or wearing my ‘Ithaca is Gorges’ mask, New York is always on my mind and I’m always learning more about New York directly from my constituents.”

Some of the key highlights include:

NEW YORK STATE

Delivered BIG For New York With $100 Billion For New York In COVID Relief Through The American Rescue Plan and $27+Billion Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act. As Majority Leader, and the chief negotiator in the Senate, Schumer worked nonstop to deliver a plan that best provided robust relief to New York’s local leaders, workers, small businesses, and health centers so they could recover from the impacts of COVID and build back stronger than before.

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for New York over the past year:

·       Over $23.8 Billion In Fiscal Relief For NY’s State and Local Governments:

Delivering on his promise of robust relief for New York State, as part of the American Rescue Plan, Senator Schumer ensured New York State, New York City, and every municipal government from counties to towns to the smallest villages, could pay for essential services, retain vital frontline workers, offset lost revenues and increased costs from the COVID-19 emergency, and rebuild local economies.

·       Nearly $4.2 billion More for New York’s Medicaid Program:

Senator Schumer’s hard-won provision in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act continued to deliver an estimated $4.2 billion to New York’s Medicaid program throughout 2021. These funds have helped the state continue to provide high quality health care at low costs to ~6.8 million low-income New Yorkers.

·       Over $1.26 Billion More for Home-and-Community Based Services:

Senator Schumer included one year of enhanced federal funding for home- and community-based health care services that has delivered over $1.26 billion in direct funding to New York. This money has gone to support seniors and people with disabilities receive the care they need at home or in their community if they so choose by expanding the availability of services and increasing the types of services offered across the state.

·       Over $13.5 Billion NYS Hospitals, Health Systems, Community Health Centers and Other Providers:

Following his leadership in creating the Provider Relief Fund, Senator Schumer has fought to deliver over $13.5 billion to New York health care providers through the COVID-19 pandemic with billions more on the way before the end of 2021. This money has assisted local hospitals, health centers, physician offices and more test, diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19 and mitigated the massive financial losses incurred by our health system drive by pandemic-related costs and lost revenues.

·       Over $330 Million to Support NYS’s COVID-19 Testing Infrastructure:

Senator Schumer fought for and secured over $1.1 billion through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and another $330 billion through the American Rescue Plan to expand and enhance New York’s COVID-19 testing and tracing infrastructure. This critical component of our national response to the pandemic has helped curb the spread of the coronavirus in New York and saving lives.

·        $175 Million For COVID-19 Vaccines For New Yorkers:

As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Senator Schumer delivered over $175 million in direct funding to New York State and New York State that has resulted in over 80% of eligible New Yorkers receiving at least one vaccine shot including 69% who are fully vaccinated.

·       $170 Million in Substance Abuse and Mental Health

·       Delivered $22 Billion In Direct Stimulus Payments To New Yorkers:

Senator Schumer pushed hard to include an additional round of Economic Impact Payments of $1,400 in the American Rescue Plan, including eligible payments for children amounting to $5,600 for an average family of four. Because of Schumer’s efforts, nearly 9 million New York households received direct stimulus payments, to help them to cover essential expenses like food, rent or mortgages, medical bills, and help spur economic activity in their communities.

·       Secured estimated $18.4 Billion for New York Transit:
As commuters and riders stayed at home during the pandemic, transit ridership fell while agencies needed to keep service running for essential workers and those who depend on transit. Increased cleaning frequencies and reduced ridership led to higher operating costs. Senator Schumer secured $7.3 billion for New York transit systems in the ARP to help agencies bridge the gap. He then secured an estimated $11.1 billion for New York transit agencies over five years, a significant increase over the previous transportation law, so that transit can continue to build back better as it recovers from the pandemic.

·       More Than $1.3 Billion For New York Airports:

The travel industry was among one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, Senator Schumer fought to include over $418 million in the ARP to provide New York’s hard-hit airports the relief they desperately needed. Then, building on his advocacy Schumer followed this relief by securing an additional investment of over $937 million through the IIJA to airports to help NY’s airport take off and reach new heights.

·       Secured $11.5 billion in Highway Funding for New York over the Next 5 years:

This includes $289 million for Transportation Alternatives walking and biking funding and an estimated $1.9 billion in formula funding for a new bridge replacement program. In his commitment to addressing climate change, Schumer secured $175 million for a new National Electric Vehicle formula program and $239 million for the PROTECT formula program to build and rebuild transportation assets with resiliency in mind.

·       Over $9 Billion In COVID Relief For New York K-12 Schools:

Senator Schumer made it a top priority to give our schools the robust and flexible funds they needed to reopen safely for in-person instruction and addressing the diverse needs of students due to the pandemic.

·       $2.6 Billion For NY Colleges, Universities, And Student To Recover From Pandemic:

Higher Education Institutions were on the frontlines of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and ripped massive holes in their budgets to keep students and communities safe. Senator Schumer ensured not only to include relief to account for reopening costs, revenue losses, classroom retrofits, PPE, and other expenses, but also that half of any colleges federal allocation went directly to students to address hardships caused by COVID-19.

·       $428 Million For NY’s Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds:

A long time clean water advocate, Senator Schumer worked hard to bolster this funding for NY in the IIJA. Schumer said this massive boon for New York’s water infrastructure and environment, would accelerate New York’s ongoing efforts to remove lead pipe and cleaning up emerging contaminates – like PFAs.

·       Over $7 Billion In Historic Child Tax Credit (CTC) For NY Families:

Almost 90% of all New York families benefited from Senator Schumer’s tireless fight to expand the Child Tax Credit, allowing 86% of families across the state to get $300 automatic payments each month.

·       More than $54 billion in COVID relief to support New York’s small businesses and nonprofits:

Schumer delivered over $54 billion in federal forgivable loans through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program and grants and low-interest loans through Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, supporting hundreds of thousands of New York’s small businesses and nonprofits. Schumer fought to include nonprofits in these programs, including religious organizations and large nonprofits that provide critical services to communities through the state.

·       More than $500 million from the American Rescue Plan’s State Small Business Credit Initiative:

These funds will help expand access to credit and investment for small businesses and start-ups, including minority-owned and other disadvantaged businesses, across the state to grow, create jobs, and strengthen Main Streets.

·       Over $3.6 billion in relief delivered to more than 9,700 New York restaurants:

Schumer fought to include an initial infusion of funds in the American Rescue Plan to stand-up a dedicated relief program to provide flexible grants to support the state’s hard-hit restaurant industry.

·       More than $1.9 billion was awarded to New York through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, otherwise known as the ‘Save Our Stages’ program:

Schumer led the effort to pass this critical lifeline for the cultural arts industry into law. This funding was awarded to more than 1,400 theaters, independent music venues and comedy clubs, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions like museums and zoos across the state, bringing Broadway back and helping New York’s cultural treasures in every corner of the state keep the light and laughs on.

·       Over $44.9 million from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) from the American Rescue Plan directly awarded to New York:

Schumer prioritized dedicated relief to revive New Yok’s tourism and travel industry in the American Rescue Plan. These EDA funds support marketing, infrastructure, workforce, and other projects to rebuild New York’s travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation economy, so New York is ready to welcome the world back to the state as we emerge from the worst of the pandemic.

Over $130 million For New Yorkers Who Lost A Loved One To COVID In FEMA Funeral and Cemetery Expenses Reimbursement:

After tireless advocacy, starting in the very early days of COVID, Senator Schumer secured access to a rarely used FEMA program that reimburses individuals who lost a loved one to COVID and helped cover the funeral and cemetery costs. With the loved ones of over 19,000 New Yorkers lost to COVID already reimbursed, and about $1.5 billion provided across the country, this program has helped New Yorkers across the state in their darkest hour. This assistance is available for anyone who lost a loved one to COVID and had to bear this unexpected expense, you can find out more by calling: 844-684-6333

Almost half-a-billion dollars to help New Yorkers recover and rebuild three months after Hurricane Ida struck New York:

When Hurricane Ida hit New York in September, it left thousands of New Yorkers reeling. Now, three months later, close to 36,000 New Yorkers from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties have been approve for FEMA’s individual assistance program. Combined with funding provided through the US Small Business Administration and the National Flood Insurance Program, these federal lifelines have provide almost half-a-billion dollars to help rebuild, and rebuild stronger. Applications are still open, currently until January 4, 2022, and you can apply if you were impacted by Hurricane Ida at DisasterAssistance.gov

WESTERN NEW YORK

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for Western NY over the past year:

·       Over $873 million in aid to Buffalo and Western NY local governments

·       Over 550 Western NY restaurants received over $109 million through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

·       Over $42 million for Shuttered Venue in Western NY like Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the National Comedy Center

·       $204 million for Higher Education institutions like the University at Buffalo, Niagara University, and more

·       Airports in Western NY received over $68.9 million

·       Throughout the pandemic, 33,000 businesses in the Western NY region have received over $3.34 billion in PPP funds

Dramatically Expanded The Child Tax Credit And Instituted Monthly Payments For 85% of Western New York Families Which Amounted To $77 Million:

As part of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion, Senator Schumer was able to secure an increased in the number of eligible families and authorized monthly disbursements of the Child Tax Credits. With 85% of Western New York families eligible for this groundbreaking program, Schumer noted that it was especially significant in the City of Buffalo, which has one of the nation’s highest poverty rates and as many as 25,000 children living in poverty. As many as 107,000 households in the Greater Buffalo-Niagara region.

Finally Orchestrated The Implementation Of The Pilot Record Database Following The Advocacy Of The 3407 Families:

In December, the Pilot Record Database being kept by the FAA finally went live, enabling airlines to have a thorough record of the training history and service record of each current and prospective pilot. This database, a longtime Schumer priority, was first proposed following the successful advocacy of the families of the victims of Flight 3407. While the database was supposed to be created years ago, bureaucratic red tape and administrative inaction led to the database languishing in development. Schumer was able to cut through the red tape and convinced DOT officials to finally get the program up and running.

Recommended The Nomination Of Trini Ross To Be The First African American Woman For US Attorney In Buffalo:

Schumer recommended Trini Ross to President Biden for nomination as United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. Ms. Ross is a lifelong Buffalonian, a graduate of Hutchinson Technical High School, SUNY Fredonia, and UB Law. She is an experienced prosecutor and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Ms. Ross is also the first African American woman to serve as the WDNY’s top federal prosecutor. She assumed her position in November of this year.   

Secured $1 Billion - The Largest Single Allocation In The History Of The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:

Senator Schumer was able to include a $1 Billion allocation to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the bipartisan infrastructure deal. Specifically, this funding was secured to protect, improve, and preserve the Great Lakes and their related waterways, which include the Niagara River, Buffalo Creek, and many other areas along the Western New York shoreline. This funding is utilized by 16 different agencies and often works through local organizations like Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. Schumer also noted the economic impact of the Great Lakes, adding that for every dollar invested in Great Lakes protection, the return on investment is $3.35, or 335%.

Saw To It That Western New York Students Were Fairly Compensated For AP Exams Which Went Missing:

After taking their Advanced Placement exams, some students at Startpoint High School in Lockport were informed that UPS had lost the box of exams on their way to be scored by College Board. Schumer intervened with both College Board and UPS and ensured that the tests were found and the students were fairly compensated and were also awarded $250 scholarships.

Bolstered Western New York’s Transportation Infrastructure By Securing the Largest Ever Federal Investment In Upstate Transit Agencies, Including $156.5 Million for NFTA:

Aware of the need to major investment in Western New York’s transit agency, Schumer was able to secure $156.5 Million in federal monies for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) over FY22-26. This was part of a larger federal infrastructure investment that saw almost $90 Billion go to transportation agencies as part of Schumer’s plan to finally bring public transportation into the 21^st century. These funds can be used for everything from the continuation of daily operations, to maintenance and bus procurement. 

LONG ISLAND

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for Long Island over the past year:

·       Over 1 Billion in aid to County, Town, and village governments

·       Approximately 1,100 restaurants received over $270 million through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

·       Over $57 million to over 100 Shuttered entertainment venues, organizations, and companies

·       Over $323 million to Long Island’s public school districts

·       Over $266 million to higher education intuitions on Long Island

·       Airports on Long Island received over $39 million

·       Throughout the pandemic, 121,041 businesses on Long Island have received over $10.50 billion in PPP funds

Delivered Record $106 Million Investment to Protect Long Island Sound:

Schumer successfully fought to deliver $106 Million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Long Island Sound Program. More than 23 million people live within 50 miles of the Long Island Sound, an important natural resource that is home to more than 120 species of fish and is an economic engine that draws families, boaters, tourists, and anglers to Long Island. This record investment will be delivered over the next five years to continue efforts to rehabilitate and preserve the Sound for generations to come, and is in addition to the annual appropriations Senator Schumer fights for each year.

Secured Timely Federal Approval of $232 Million Disaster Aid for Construction of the Critical Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative:

Schumer advocated to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of $232 million in post-Sandy disaster aid he secured to be used for the Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative, paving the way for construction of this critical infrastructure project and ensuring that construction begins on schedule. These federal funds – paired with $46 million that Senator Schumer secured for Suffolk County via the American Rescue plan – are being used for the largest sewer expansion program in Suffolk County in approximately 40 years.

Reeled-In Victories and Disaster Assistance for Long Island’s Fishing and Shellfishing Industries:

In May, Schumer called on Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to keep a New Yorker in one of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s at-large seats. The retention of this seat and the representation it provides New York on the Council is essential to providing fairer fishing allocations and correcting past injustices that have burdened New York’s fishermen and hampered one of Long Island’s legacy industries. In June, Long Islander Tom Schlichter was appointed to the seat. Also in June, after Schumer’s advocacy following a widespread scallop die-off in Peconic Bay in 2019 and 2020, Secretary Raimondo announced a disaster declaration for the Peconic Bay scallop fishery. This declaration makes the fishery eligible for disaster assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and may also unlock assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA). In July, Schumer wrote to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) advocating for an increase in New York’s black sea bass commercial quota allocation after New York State appealed the initial allocation decision, noting that New York’s portion of the commercial quote had not been updated to reflect the increased abundance of black sea bass in New York’s waters. In August, the ASMFC’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved an allocation increase, increasing the amount of fish New York’s fishermen can catch.

Secured $1 Billion Cybersecurity Grant Program For Federal Cybersecurity Assistance To State And Local Governments, Including Schools:

In the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs bill Schumer secured crucial cybersecurity assistance for state and local government to modernize their cybersecurity infrastructure and give state and local entities the tools they need to stop malicious hacks. The $1 billion grant also targets rural communities that may have less access to cybersecurity assistance and resources. After numerous recent cyberattacks on local governments in New York, school systems, and a water treatment facility Schumer announced at the Manhasset Secondary School the $1 billion authorization and encouraged local leaders, school administrators, and county officials to begin working with the NY state government to prepare a cyber-resource plan to secure federal assistance from the $1 billion grant program to prevent and mitigate future attacks.

CAPITAL REGION

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for the Capital Region over the past year:

·       Over $549.5 million in aid to local governments

·       Over $39 million for Shuttered Venues in the Capital Region

·       $152 million for Higher Education institutions like the University of Albany, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Adirondack Community College.

·       $52.5 million for Capital Region transit systems like the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA), and the Greater Glens Falls Transit.

·       Airports in the Capital Region received $49 million

·       Throughout the pandemic, 30,238 businesses in the Capital Region have received over $2.7 billion in PPP funds

Following passage of USICA, GlobalFoundries Commits to Building Fab 8.2 and Relocating Headquarters to Malta:   

In April, Schumer visited GlobalFoundries to announce that the company has decided to move its headquarters from California to Saratoga County.   In June, the Senate, under Schumer’s leadership passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) which will invest $52 billion into the domestic semiconductor industry by implementing the federal semiconductor incentive programs Schumer passed into law as part of last year’s National Defense Authorization Act.   Two months later Schumer returned to Malta, this time with US Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, to announce that GlobalFoundries has decided to build a second semiconductor fabrication plant at the Luther Forest site.   This project, which will look to make use of the billions of dollars in federal incentives Schumer is working to finalize, will get underway in 2022 and will create thousands of union construction jobs and over one thousand permanent jobs at the new fab.

Established Federal Limousine Safety Regulations in Response to the Tragic 2018 Limo Accident in Schoharie:  

After the terrible limousine crash in Schoharie, NY that killed 20 people, Schumer promised the victim’s families that he would not rest until the federal government established limousine safety regulations aimed at preventing future tragic incidents.   This August, Schumer worked in a bipartisan way, on the floor of the Senate to overcome an objection to the inclusion of these standards into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.     When President Biden signed the measure into law on November 15, Schumer saw to it that Kevin Cushing, who became a tireless advocate for limo safety after his son Patrick was killed in the Schoharie incident, was in attendance at the White House ceremony.  The law addresses limo safety with a ten point plan that includes funding, new inspection rules, vehicle crash testing, and new standards regarding seat belts, seating systems, retrofit assessment for existing limos and safety standards for altering used vehicles into limousines. 

Delivered $61 Million for CDTA to Establish the “Purple Line” Bus Rapid Transit Route:  

Last year, CDTA began service on its popular “Blue Line” bus rapid transit route which connects Albany with Watervliet, Cohoes, Troy and Waterford, which was made possible by federal funding from the Federal Transit Authority’s Small Starts program.    Senator Schumer has worked with CDTA for the last decade on this effort, first to gain CDTA’s inclusion into the program, and then to maximize the level of funding.    This summer, FTA announced that it has made $61 million from the program available to CDTA for the establishment of the next bus rapid transit route.   The “Purple Line”, first envisioned by CDTA and Schumer when he visited the College of St. Rose on October 21, 2013, will connect downtown Albany, with St. Rose, the Harriman Campus, the University at Albany and Crossgates Mall.   Together with the “Red Line” service that connects downtown Albany with downtown Schenectady along Central Avenue, CDTA’s growing network of bus rapid transit routes have transformed public transportation in the Capital Region and established a model for transit systems across upstate.

ROCHESTER-FINGER LAKES

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for the Finger Lakes region over the past year:

·       Over $566.09 million in aid to Rochester and Finger Lakes local governments

·       412 Finger Lakes restaurants received over $77.72 million through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

·       Over $28 million for Shuttered Venue in the Finger Lakes

·       $163.84 million for Higher Education institutions like the University of Rochester, RIT, and more.

·       Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority received over $139.98 million between the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill to support their 900+ employees

·       Airports in the Finger Lakes received over $44.74 million

·       Throughout the pandemic, 31,116 businesses in the Finger Lakes region have received over $2.89 billion in PPP funds

Successfully Landed New $125 Million Plug Power Gigafactory Bringing 377 Jobs To Monroe County:

Senator Schumer made a personal call to Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh advocating for Plug Power to choose Upstate NY for the site of its new factory. Plug Power heeded his call and officially opened its new $125 Million Hydrogen Fuel Cell Innovation Center In Monroe County this November.

Delivered Over $18 Million In Federal Funds To Start Critical Broadband Project To Bring High-Speed Internet To Livingston And Orleans Counties:

After months of advocacy, Senator Schumer secured an $11.3 million Rural Development Broadband ReConnect grant for Livingston County to bring high speed broadband internet to thousands of homes, business, and farms. In addition, t hanks to funding State and Local aide that Senator Schumer secured in the American Rescue Plan, Orleans County was able to fulfill a decades-long dream to provide high-speed internet access to the entire county by investing $7.83 million they received to provide broadband access to over 1,500 unserved households.

Secured VA Approval For The Expansion of the WNY National Veteran Cemetery:

After the Veterans Administration stripped features for the WNY National Veteran Cemetery from their 2019 plans, Schumer pushed the department to build the complete cemetery needed for local veterans and helped secure an additional $10 million to ensure the project’s completion. Thanks to his initial advocacy, construction will continue and the next phase will include an above-ground columbarium, ossuary, memorial wall, second committal shelter, a loop roadway, and landscaping to provide Upstate veterans the honorable facilities they deserve.

CENTRAL NEW YORK

 

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for Central New York over the past year:

·       Over $483 million in aid to local governments

·       Over $411 million for CNY K-12 school districts

·       Over $172 million for CNY higher education institutions

·       Over $45 million for CNY airports

·       Over $112 million for Centro to support its 600 employees who operate the transportation authority's bus service in Syracuse, Oswego, Auburn, Rome and Utica

·       Over $14 million for CNY community health centers

·       Over $2 million for CNY Head Start programs

·       Over $17 million for Onondaga County & over $7 million for Oneida County in rental & homelessness prevention funding

·       Over $15 million for CNY live event venues through the Save Our Stages grant program

·       Throughout the pandemic, 10,572 businesses in Central New York have received over $564.86 million in PPP funds

After Decades-Long Effort, Helped Syracuse Airport Finally Land Southwest Airlines:

For over 20 years, Senator Schumer fought to bring low-cost Southwest flights to Upstate New York to help boost competition and lower fares – but Syracuse remained the only major Upstate city without service from the airline. As local officials continued to engage with Southwest Airlines, Schumer spoke directly with the company’s CEO Greg Kelly to advocate for flights out of Syracuse and worked in congress to keep airlines solvent through the pandemic. As the economy reopened, Southwest finally launched service at Hancock International Airport in June.

Secured Funding for Saab to Expand & Create 50 Jobs In Central New York:

With an eye towards Saab’s radar technology developed in East Syracuse, Schumer secured $7 million for the Navy to advance critical improvements to its combat fleet and then ensured Saab was selected for the contract to do the important work. The new contract will create 50 good-paying jobs in Central New York, with potential for more jobs in future.

Solidified Rome Lab’s Position at the Epicenter of Quantum Computing Jobs & Innovation:

After securing tens of millions of dollars Rome Lab’s Quantum Information Science (QIS) research and development in recent years, Senator Schumer helped convince the military to establish Rome Lab as the Quantum Information Science Research Center for the Department of Defense. This landmark designation will deliver millions of additional dollars to Rome Lab, attract the nation’s top talent, and create good paying jobs in the Mohawk Valley. With the race to innovation in quantum computing proving to be the great scientific race of the 21st century, Rome Lab will ensure the U.S does not fall behind international competitors like China and Russia.

Secured Funding to Bring High-Speed Internet to 1K Homes & Businesses in Madison County:

With large parts of rural Madison County lacking access to high-speed internet, Senator Schumer worked hand-in-hand with Madison County officials as they sought funding to close the digital divide from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Broadband ReConnect Program. After Schumer held a personal meeting with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsak, Madison County was awarded a $10 million grant to bring new high-speed internet broadband access to over 1,000 homes, businesses and farms across the county.

HUDSON VALLEY

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for the Hudson Valley over the past year:

·       Over $910.6 million in aid to local governments

·       Over 715 Hudson Valley restaurants received over $157 million through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

·       Over $67 million for Shuttered Venue in the Hudson Valley

·       $219.69 million for Higher Education institutions like the SUNY Orange, Westchester Community College, SUNY New Paltz, and more.

·       Hudson Valley Transit Systems received over $12.9 billion between the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill

·       Airports in the Hudson Valley received over $51 million

·       Throughout the pandemic, 82,074 businesses in the Hudson Valley region have received over $6.49 billion in PPP funds

Secured $11.96 million to revitalize downtown New Rochelle by reconnecting Lincoln Avenue communities divided by Memorial Highway: 

New Rochelle's Lincoln Avenue communities were separated from the services and support of the city's downtown in 1958 when the construction of Memorial Highway bulldozed their neighborhood. For over 3 years, Senator Schumer pushed the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the LINC project. At the beginning of President Biden’s administration, Schumer spoke to Secretary Buttigeg directly to advocate for these funds. In November of this year, Schumer announced $11.96 million for the LINC project, which will reconnect the 25,000 residents living in the Lincoln Avenue communities to the services, transportation, and job opportunities in New Rochelle's downtown by adding walkable, bike-able city street with open green space. 

Successfully secured selection in a game-changing federally funded program that increases community involvement and fast tracks the PFAS cleanup process at Stewart Air National Guard Base for Orange County residents: 

Following over 5 years of fighting for clean drinking water in the City of Newburgh and its surrounding communities, Schumer announced this May that Stewart Airport will be the first Air National Guard Remedial Investigation funded under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP). This program, officially awarded to Stewart this September, provides the funds needed to begin the remedial investigation at Stewart and also allows regulators to expedite the review of documents and give the Resident Advisory Board to access funding to cover administrative costs to better educate Orange County communities about ongoing remediation efforts. 

Delivered a historic $35 million federal investment to build New York's first-of-its-kind Children’s Specialty Hospital creating 400 new healthcare jobs in Sullivan County: 

This $35 million investment, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program, was needed for The Center for Discovery (TCFD) to build New York’s first short-term inpatient assessment program for children with complex conditions to begin construction, creating over 400 healthcare jobs and 150 construction jobs in Sullivan County while improving access to quality care and services for Upstate New York’s most vulnerable. In early 2020, USDA officials visited the site at Schumer's request. After the visit, COVID cases surged in Sullivan County creating unprecedented burdens for TCFD, including $5 million in lost revenue. This made the $35 million USDA investment secured by Schumer critical to keep the Children's Specialty Hospital project on track for the groundbreaking this July.

Secured hundreds of thousands for EPA to cleanup and revitalize the asbestos-contaminated former TechCity site to bring Ulster County's former economic engine back to life: 

Schumer delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars for EPA to help clean up the former TechCity site, on top of historic funding for both Ulster County and the Town of Ulster through the American Rescue Plan for economic and workforce development opportunities, and billions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act to supercharge cleanup efforts at superfund sites like this across New York. Following Schumer's efforts and July visit, multiple community partners came together, announcing last week that the blighted former IBM site will become iPark87, creating up to 1,000 new local jobs and garnering hundreds of millions in private investment. 

Secured $4 million for Access: Supports for Living to continue its life saving mental health and substance abuse services across the Hudson Valley: 

Senator Schumer played a critical role in the inception of the Access Mental Health and Substance Use Urgent Care, securing $4 million and in May of 2020, he learned that Access needed additional federal support to keep its Mental Health and Substance Use Urgent Care going in the years to come. Taking action, Senator Schumer successfully secured a meeting between Access and SAMHSA to keep the Urgent Care open as demand for these services drastically increased during the pandemic. Following his tireless advocacy, Schumer announced this February that he successfully secured $4 million so Access could continue its virtual and in-person operations in Newburgh and Middletown over the next several years. For these efforts, he was also honored with the nonprofit's prestigious 'Vision of Hope' award this year.

SOUTHERN TIER

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for the Southern Tier over the past year:

·       Nearly $330 million in aid to Southern Tier local governments

·       Over 180 Southern Tier restaurants received over $40 million through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

·       Over $23.6 million for over 40 Shuttered Venue in the Southern Tier like Cinempolis and the State Theater in Ithaca, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton, Clemens Center in Elmira, and many more

·       $161 million for Higher Education institutions like Binghamton University, Ithaca College, SUNY Alfred, and more.

·       $67.11 million for Transit Systems in the Southern Tier Like BC Transit in Broome County, TCAT in Tompkins County, and C-TRAN in Chemung County

·       Airports in the Southern Tier received over $32 million

 

Secured $3.4 Million In Economic Development Administration Funding For The Hornell IDA To Support Major 250 Job Expansion At Alstom:

Following Alston being awarded a nearly $1.8 billion contract to make passenger rail cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System, Senator Schumer called Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo directly to advocate for the City of Hornell which needed federal funding to support critical infrastructure upgrades to the Shawmut Industrial Park to support Alstom’s massive expansion in the region. This funding directly supported the creation of nearly 250 new jobs and help cements Hornell’s position as one of the nation’s main hubs for train manufacturing.

Delivered BIG For Broome County Transportation With Over $3.2 Million Grant To Purchase Six New Electric, Zero Emission Buses And $1 Million Grant To Make Critical Improvements To The Greater Binghamton Airport:

On top of the nearly $30 million Senator Schumer secured for BC Transit and over $6.3 million for the Greater Binghamton Airport through the ARP and IIJA. Senator Schumer wrote to Transportation Secretary Buttigieg and successfully delivered on two key grants for Broome County. The first a $1 million grant through the Small Community Air Service Development Program for improvements to airport and to bolster efforts to expand air service. The second is a $3.2 million grant through the Low and No Emission Vehicle Grant Program which will allow Broome County to replace polluting diesel buses with six-battery electric, zero emission buses. In addition, the new buses will have components made by BAE Systems in Endicott, supporting local jobs while making the community cleaner.

 

Procured $1.4 Million Through DOL And Appalachian Regional Commission For SUNY Alfred To Support Training For 200 New Southern Tier Manufacturing Jobs:

With major regional employers in the western Southern Tier seeking to expand operations, Senator Schumer pushed for SUNY Alfred to receive funding through the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission to develop training initiatives for specialized jobs such as welding. This funding will now support nearly 200 new skilled manufacturing jobs in the region at Alstom and Ljungström. 

NORTH COUNTRY 

Senator Schumer delivered substantial relief for Northern New York over the past year:

·       Over $145.8 million for local governments in the North Country

·       Over $135 million for K-12 school districts in the North Country

·       Over $65 million for higher education institutions in the North Country

·       North Country airports received over $29 million between the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill

·       $8.25M for Watertown’s Citibus

·       Over $4 million for community health centers in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties

·       Over $900K for Head Start programs in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

·       $2.9 million for Jefferson County Homelessness Assistance Program

·       Nearly $2.8M for live event venues in North Country through the Save Our Stages grant program

·       Throughout the pandemic, 5,571 businesses in the North Country have received over $384.13 million in PPP funds

 

Secured Last Piece of Funding Needed to Modernize Fort Drum’s Outdated Railhead: In personal meetings and calls with previous military leadership, Senator Schumer pushed to prioritize the construction of a new railhead at Fort Drum – which is a top priority for Fort Drum officials – and ultimately secured initial funding for the project in the Military Construction budget. Additional funding was still needed to complete the project, so Schumer worked with military leaders to secure to finish the job. The final piece of funding was secured in 2021, allowing Fort Drum to modernize its outdated railhead, improve base readiness and meet deployment requirements.

Ensured Funding to Deepen The Port of Ogdensburg Remained Locked-In Place After Project Delay:

In 2017, Senator Schumer secured funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to deepen the Ogdensburg Harbor and create new economic opportunities for the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA). However, the federal funds were in jeopardy as the project was delayed while OBPA sought additional funds to complete the project. In 2021, Senator Schumer worked with USACE keep the federal funding in place while OBPA successfully secured additional funding. The contract on the long-delayed project was finally awarded this year, which will lead to decreased shipping costs and unlock new business opportunities for OBPA.

Infrastructure Bill Includes $10 Billion for Clean Electric Buses Like Those Made by Plattsburgh’s Nova Bus: 

Leader Schumer secured $10 Billion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to invest $5 billion in funding for public transit agencies to adopt low and no emissions buses, and $5 billion for clean, electric school buses.  This is a potential boon for Nova Bus in Plattsburgh which produces low and no emission buses.  This funding is a win in the fight against climate change and just as importantly, a win for growing the North County transit supplier workforce.

Press release:

Following his continued advocacy to make Upstate NY a global semiconductor manufacturing hub, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer personally called Tower Semiconductor CEO, Russell Ellwanger, about the company’s interest in expanding their operations. Schumer urged the CEO to locate their next semiconductor fabrication (“fab”) plant in Upstate NY. Tower Semiconductor is currently considering New York, along with several other locations, for a new $5 billion semiconductor fab plant that would create up to a thousand jobs.

Schumer said New York boasts several sites across Upstate that are ready to be home to Tower’s next chip fab, from the STAMP campus in Western New York and the White Pine Commerce Park in Central New York, to Marcy Nanocenter in the Mohawk Valley and Luther Forest in the Capital Region.  Schumer added that Upstate New York boasts a thriving semiconductor ecosystem, top-notch universities, a world-class workforce, and a diversity of companies across the supply chain. 

“Tower Semiconductor’s interest in expanding its manufacturing operations in the U.S., and potentially in Upstate NY, is exciting news for the entire state and a potential game-changer for the region. I made it clear to Tower that I strongly support locating their new semiconductor chip fab in New York. I know firsthand Upstate NY has all of the ingredients to be a global epicenter for semiconductor manufacturing and that is why any of our multiple shovel-ready sites from STAMP in WNY, White Pines in CNY, Luther Forest in the Capital Region, and Marcy Nanocenter in the Mohawk Valley is the perfect location for Tower Semiconductor’s new chip fab,” said Senator Schumer. “Our world-class New York workforce and distinguished research institutions, coupled with New York’s considerable experience in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D mean Upstate NY is tailor-made to be the home for Tower’s new fab. I stand ready to help Tower in any way for investment in New York, including securing the federal semiconductor manufacturing and R&D incentives, and further cement New York as a global hub for chip manufacturing.”

Schumer has long emphasized the importance of active federal support for the semiconductor industry including his push to include provisions in the FY2021 NDAA to create new federal semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, and training programs, noting that even though the U.S. revolutionized the semiconductor and broad microelectronics industries and invented nearly all of the key technology used to this day, by 2030, non-U.S. competitors are projected to control 83% of the global semiconductor manufacturing supply while domestic production could be less than 10%, which would be a threat to national security and economic competitiveness.

In June, Schumer successfully passed through the Senate the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), legislation he introduced that combined his Endless Frontier Act to make a significant investment in research, development, and innovation, other bipartisan competitiveness bills, and $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement the semiconductor-related manufacturing and R&D programs the senator authorized in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. USICA also created a program to support legacy chip production that is essential to the auto industry, the military, and other critical industries. Schumer is now working with the House to pass USICA, including the historic federal semiconductor incentives, into law as well as supporting the passage as part of the Build Back Better reconciliation bill of a new 25% tax credit for investments in domestic semiconductor facilities and equipment, modeled after the FABS Act. 

Tower Semiconductor is an Israel-based leading foundry of high-value analog semiconductor solutions and provides technology and manufacturing platforms for integrated circuits in growing markets such as consumer, industrial, automotive, mobile, infrastructure, medical and aerospace, and defense.