Charles Schumer

Press release:

With COVID’s Omicron variant spreading, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said the key to controlling it centers around the at-home tests now for sale across the country. Schumer praised President Biden for prepping a plan to be released on January 15th that will have insurance companies reimburse for the cost of an at-home test—but, he said, while we wait, he wants a surge of rapid at-home tests sent to New York community health centers and their mobile sites, across the state.  

“While many portions of the country are waiting for the omicron variant to arrive, New York already has cases—but this doesn’t mean we should panic. It means we should be planning,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. 

“You see, a key to controlling Omicron is the at-home test, where you can swab your own nose, follow simple steps, determine if you have COVID, and take the right steps thereafter. Right now, these at-home tests are pretty affordable across the country, but they’re not free, but they should be. So, I am asking for the feds to send a surge of these to New York CHCs and their mobile sites where they should come at no cost. We should be arming the public with at-home tests to stay ahead of this variant into the winter,” Schumer added.   

Schumer urged for these at-home tests to be totally free, as in no fine print. He said people should be able to walk into a CHC or visit one of their mobile sites and pick up an at-home test free of charge. Schumer urged a surge of the at-home tests to New York, especially, saying that omicron is already here and that we must work now to contain its spread. Schumer said the funds to pay for these free tests have already been appropriated to HHS via the American Rescue Plan (ARP) he helped pass through Congress and the president signed into law.

Last week, the Biden administration announced its winter plan to beat back COVID. The administration will soon mandate insurers reimburse Americans for purchasing at-home tests. Three federal departments will issue the guidance for this action on Jan. 15. The guidance will stipulate that people who buy the tests will be able to seek reimbursement from their group health plan or health insurer and have it covered during the public-health emergency, according to the Wall Street Journal. The administration has authority to do this under legislation that Congress passed in March that required group health plans and issuers to cover diagnostic Covid-19 testing, the Journal reported. 

In the meantime, Schumer, today, is saying that sending a surge of these at-home tests to New York can once again utilize the CHC infrastructure that made getting shots in arms successful during the earliest days of vaccine availability. 

The Omicron variant has been detected in 11 states so far, and about 40 countries. Scientists are also still investigating the impact of the Omicron variant, how contagious it is, how easily it might spread, and more. Schumer, today, said this is exactly why a surge of at-home tests and a campaign to have people use them could make all the difference.

“We have this tool we didn’t have early on—an at-home test,” said Schumer. “It’s one of the keys to keeping this recovery going, and we ought to use them.”

According to the WHO, 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. 

There are more than 70 federal community health centers (CHC) with 800 sites throughout New York, according to the Community Health Care Association of NY.

Press release:

In a new push to combat what has become one of the worst mosquito seasons across New York, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced a new push to help zap the mosquitos that seem to be taking over communities across New York. Schumer revealed that this summer, many communities throughout Upstate New York had a case of West Nile, the serious and potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus. Schumer also detailed data from New York State that shows dozens of mosquito samples there have tested positive for West Nile, too.

“Ask any outdoor diner about the mosquitos this summer, and you’ll feel a resounding itch,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “This is actually one of the worst mosquito seasons in recent memory with a record number of the bugs plaguing communities across New York—from the city, to Buffalo and all throughout New York State.”

“Even more concerning, pools of the potentially-deadly mosquito-borne disease, West Nile Virus, continue to grow, and this could last well into Fall because of a very wet summer and climate change. So, today, we are pushing a two-pronged plan involving the EPA and the CDC so that our area has the dollars and the resources to beat back the mosquito and its diseases before they spread,” Schumer added.

Schumer said data shows this is one of the worst summers in terms of the mosquito population—but that this could all last well into fall. Schumer said that a particularly wet summer and a changing climate are giving mosquitos the right conditions to suck New York dry of patience and the federal dollars used to beat them back. Schumer announced a two-pronged push to ensure the EPA keeps resources coming to New York and an upcoming budget boost to increase CDC ‘vector borne disease’ dollars delivered by the agency to ensure New York State has the resources they need to survey, test, educate and respond to dramatic increases in the mosquito population, such as the one we are seeing this summer, and could keep seeing into the future.

For example, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard, Onondaga County has experienced 25 times more mosquitoes this year than last. This year, Onondaga County tallied 12,543 mosquitoes in the second week of September, compared to 488 during the same time last year. Similarly, according to the New York City Health Department, a record-breaking 1,000+ West Nile virus-positive mosquito pools have been identified and there is at least one case of the West Nile Virus in each of the five boroughs. The Health Department told the media, these current numbers break 2018 records for the entire mosquito season, which still has weeks to go this year.

According to AMNY, “West Nile virus can be mild or moderate, with 80% of those infected have no symptoms at all, however it can prove to be serious for those over 50 and can cause serious or fatal infection to the brain and spine. The most common symptoms are headache, fever, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue, while more severe symptoms can also include changes in mental status and muscle weakness requiring hospitalization. Most who are infected with West Nile virus will go on to fully recover from their illness, however, some continue to have problems months after infection.” The outlet also reported, “there are currently 106 mosquito traps throughout the city and several catch basins have been treated with larvicide. Schumer confirmed, the Health Department has conducted three aerial applications of larvicide in the marsh areas of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, as well as 21 spray operations to control adult mosquitoes in the last several weeks.

Schumer explained that across New York, this surveying, educating and mitigation costs money and involves two federal agencies: the EPA and the CDC. Schumer, today, announced a two-pronged push to keep the EPA resources coming and his intention to increase the CDC dollars New York can access as all signs point to mosquito seasons lasting longer.

Schumer has officially requested a 61% increase in annual funding for the CDC’s Vector-Borne Diseases programs, which includes West Nile. Specifically, he is pushing to support two key programs essential to VBD prevention, surveillance, testing, and response activities: the CDC Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant program. This funding would increase the coordination between academic institutions and state and local departments of health to ensure research findings and information are getting out into the community more rapidly, support surveillance efforts, and promote outreach and education. The CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant program is critical for efforts related to the surveillance, detection, response, and prevention of infectious diseases, including VBD. In 2020 the CDC’s DVBD received requests for nearly $50 million from the state departments of health for VBD through the ELC program. However, the account was only able to support $16.1 million, less than a third of the needed resources to address VBD across the nation at the state and county level.

Representatives of Samsung have visited the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in recent days, Sen. Charles Schumer said today, renewing optimism that the international semiconductor manufacturer may join Plug Power, the Latham-based leader in the development of hydrogen fuel cell systems, in placing a production plant at the 1,250-acre site in the Town of Alabama.

Announcing what he called a "two-pronged approach" at a press conference at the STAMP site off Route 77, Schumer (photo above) said that he has been communicating on a regular basis with the president of Samsung, based in South Korea, and the head of the company's United States operations -- promoting STAMP as the ideal location for the semiconductor facility it is looking to build.

The second prong of Schumer's plan is the passing of special tax credits by Congress to enable Plug Power to expand its operation in Genesee County even beyond its initial projection of producing 45 tons of green energy per day to 500 tons per day by 2025. Plug Power officials are expecting to begin operations at STAMP in about 16 months.

"If we become a manufacturer of high-end chips and if we become a center of hydrogren and hydrogen fuel and hydrogen cells, that will affect jobs in Buffalo, Rochester and all of Western New York," Schumer said. "It will be a great job magnet right here ... in Genesee County ... between Rochester and Buffalo."

Schumer said the goal is to attract jobs and tenants to "this campus right here in Genesee County ... and in Western New York."

He said he is trying to land Samsung's $17 million chip fab and touted Plug Power for building North America's largest green hydrogen fuel cell plant at STAMP.

"Those are two major, major things," he said, drawing applause from several government, business and education leaders who were in attendance.

WNY STAMP is owned by the Genesee County Economic Development Center, which was represented by its CEO/President Steve Hyde and other high-ranking employees and board members.

The senator said key components of the strategy is to obtain federal dollars to attract a company such as Samsung, and "to bring critical infusions of federal support to make STAMP a domestic hub for new semiconductor and clean energy industries -- both."

Schumer said he is "quadrupling down" on his efforts to secure new semiconductor manufacturing at STAMP, adding that he authored legislation to allocate $15 billion dollars "so we can make our own chips here."

"If we don't do it, our national security is at risk and our economy is at risk," he said. "And if they're all made overseas -- in Taiwan and in China -- we're going to lose."

He said that many automobile companies in the U.S. are experience slow production because they can't get semiconductor chips.

"I've told the top brass at Intel, Micron and, of course, Samsung that STAMP is an ideal location, and, of course, I will use my clout as (Senate) majority leader once we get the chip manufacturing dollars passed into law ... I will use my clout to try and bring one of those companies right here to Genesee County."

The United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 includes $52 billion in incentives for semiconductor manufacturing and research that Schumer said is critical to Samsung and other companies that want to expand their operations in the U.S. He said the USICA is supported by President Biden and "will get through the House (of Representatives) this fall.

Schumer said he has confirmed that Samsung is considering the STAMP site, although no final decisions have been made. 

"After a lot of calls showing them that STAMP is the right place for them and showing them that they would have the majority leader on their side, in terms of getting an allocation, they came and visited (last month) and saw for themselves. They paid a visit and saw first-hand how STAMP is -- how tailor-made STAMP is for hosting large semiconductor fab right here," he said.

PUSHING FOR PLUG POWER

Concerning Plug Power, Schumer said he is launching a $9.5 billion push to secure new hydrogen investments through the recently-passed, bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the House and the Senate.

"And we're also including more money for hydrogen and green hydrogen during the upcoming negotiations in the Budget Reconciliation bill," he said. "There are two major parts to this. Already in the bill that passed the Senate, is $8 billion to create four hydrogen hubs in the country. There's no better place than Western New York in terms of hydrogen."

He said Plug Power was the leading hydrogen cell fuel company in the country, and is in near completion of building a "giga-factory" in Henrietta that will employ 380 people.

Schumer said he also is promoting a multi-billion dollar "production tax credit" in addition to the investment tax credit that already is on the books. He said the production tax credit would lower the cost to make green hydrogen by up to $3 per kilogram "and that means more customers for green hydrogen, more demand for the fuel made here at STAMP and more demand for the Plug Power jobs in Western New York."

By increasing the output from 45 tons to 500 tons per day, Plug Power would be creating 700 additional jobs at the STAMP site, Schumer said.

Plug Power's hydrogen cells power forklifts used at some of the world's biggest companies, including Walmart, Amazon and BMW, said Plug Power President/CEO Andrew Marsh, who also was at the press conference.

"The bipartisan infrastructure job act has over a $1 billion for electrolyzers -- for research, demonstration, commercialization and also for reducing the cost and increasing reliability," Marsh said, adding that electrolyzers create hydrogen from green electricity (with) a zero carbon footprint.

He said that leading market experts foresee hydrogen as being 23 percent of the world's energy by 2050.

Marsh said Plug Power's goal is to produce 500 tons of hydrogen per day -- "that's equivalent to a million gallons of gasoline," he advised -- and is poised to do that, in part thanks to raising $5 billion as a publicly-traded company on the NASDAQ exchange.

Currently, Plug Power has 1,700 employees, with 1,000 of them in New York.

From GCEDC President/CEO Steve Hyde:

"The STAMP site was designed and is being built to enable the acceleration of new technologies and advances in manufacturing with our outstanding renewable energy and talent availability. The commitment by Plug Power to bring green hydrogen to the market with Project Gateway at STAMP, and of Senate Majority Leader Schumer to expand the benefit of Genesee County, our region and state, and for the future of our economy and environment."

Photos below: Plug Power President/CEO Andrew Marsh speaking at today's press conference at WNY STAMP site; GCEDC President/CEO Steve Hyde with Schumer and Marsh. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Press release:

Following his successful passage of the broader American Rescue Plan earlier this year, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer heralded the Child Tax Credit expansion, which will allow payments of up to $300 per child to automatically go out to families across New York each month – starting TODAY July 15. Schumer said the plan will impact more than 86 percent of New York children.

The Finger Lakes Region, which includes Genesee County, is expected to receive Expanded Child Tax Credits totaling more than $435 million.

“Help is here for working families across New York in the form of enhanced Child Tax Credits that put more money in families’ pockets to recover from COVID even as its boosts New York’s economy,” Senator Schumer said. “Over 86 percent of families throughout New York will benefit from the enhanced Child Tax Credit just as they begin to fully recover from the global health and economic pandemic that rocked our country for the past year.

"That is why I made sure this relief bill included help for New York families, because this significant expansion of the Child Tax Credit will cut the nation’s child poverty rate in half and bring necessary relief. The credit expansion – on top of the $1,400 direct checks that came earlier this year – will provide New York’s families with thousands of dollars of relief, directly in their pockets. Getting additional federal dollars into the hands of struggling families not only makes sense, but it’s what’s needed to help the New York recover from the pandemic.”

Schumer explained the Child Tax Credit (CTC), one of the most powerful and effective anti-poverty tools the federal government has, was significantly expanded for American households in the American Rescue Plan. This tax-credit expansion will deliver an estimated $7.03 billion in additional economic relief to families with children across New York and have a major impact on working families.

Schumer highlighted that researchers have estimated that the American Rescue Plan – including the expanded Child Tax Credit – will cut the child poverty rate in half nationally. Specifically, the relief bill increases the Child Tax Credit amount from $2,000 to $3,000 per child age 6 to 17 (and $3,600 per child below the age of 6) for 2021.

Additionally, the bill makes the CTC fully refundable and removes the $2,500 earnings floor to receive the credit for 2021, ensuring that the lowest income households will be able to benefit from the maximum credit amount for the year.

This change importantly corrected flaws in the credit that prevented around 27 million children nationwide whose families have little or no income from receiving the full benefit – and in New York State alone, this credit expansion will benefit 1,546,000 of these children who were previously left out of the full Child Tax Credit.

The increased $3,000 or $3,600 CTC is available to families making less than $150,000, and it phases down above that income level, so household incomes of more than $150,000 will see a reduced credit.

This boosted credit amount is particularly impactful in lower-income households, as it has been found that increasing a low-income child’s family income early in their life has numerous, critical longer-term benefits on education, health, and even employment. Specifically, it is estimated that a $3,000 increase in annual family income for children under age 5 translates into an estimated 19-percent earnings increase in adulthood.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, an estimated 3,564,000 children across New York will benefit from this expanded tax credit – including 583,000 Black, 954,000 Latino, and 266,000 Asian American children. It will also lift 680,000 children in the state above or closer to the poverty line.

The total amount of Expanded Child Tax Credit headed to each region in New York State can be found below:  

REGION

TOTAL EXPANDED CTC

Southern Tier

$264,503,932

Capital Region

$502,125,581

Central

$471,279,544

Hudson Valley

$847,414,412

Long Island

$1,028,580,062

NYC

$2,997,872,107

Finger Lakes

$435,560,223

Western

$482,651,024

TOTAL:

$7,029,986,887

Press release:

Standing with Rochester Finger Lakes Region business and economic development leaders on Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer re-upped his push for the Senate to pass his bold, bipartisan initiative next week to propel American leadership in science and technology into the 21st century.

The legislation is in the debate process on the floor of the Senate.

Schumer’s plan – which includes passing the Endless Frontier Act, now part of the broader U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, provides $52 billion in federal investment to fully fund the implementation of the bipartisan semiconductor provisions he passed in last year’s defense bill.

It would dramatically increase U.S. investment in domestic advanced manufacturing and research & development of strategically important technologies like semiconductors and establish regional tech hubs across the country.

These investments could help lead to the creation of new jobs and jumpstart innovation across Rochester and Western New York.

Senator Schumer said these new investments would both supercharge work by the region’s key economic development drivers, including the University of Rochester (UR) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), to invest in new technological research and development that spur new jobs and businesses as well as support the region’s semiconductor manufacturers (like Akoustis Technologies in Candandaigua) and attract new semiconductor factories to the region’s STAMP business park in Alabama.

“We must immediately address several dangerous weak spots in our country’s competitiveness that threaten America’s global technological leadership. We’re in an all-out race for the jobs of the future and to protect our country’s global technological edge and it’s time to put New York’s top-tier workforce and tech community on the frontlines” Senator Schumer said.

“This legislation will enhance American competitiveness with China and other countries by building up places across Rochester and Western New York to lead in the innovation economy, creating high-tech American manufacturing jobs, strengthening R&D, and investing in workforce training capabilities.

“The stakes are enormous. If we do not invest now in the research, development, and manufacturing of technologies of the future, we risk falling behind in the race with China and other global competitors, putting at risk U.S. jobs, intellectual property, and national security.”

Today, the United States’ position as the unequivocal global leader in scientific and technological ingenuity and innovation is under pressure from China and is eroding. U.S. competitiveness and national security are being threatened by decades of U.S. underinvestment in research, manufacturing, and workforce development, coupled with foreign competitors stealing American intellectual property and aggressively investing to dominate the key technology fields of today and of the future.

Schumer said that without a significant and sustained increase in investment in research, education and training, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and the broader U.S. innovation ecosystem across the nation, it is only a matter of time before America’s global competitors overtake the United States in terms of technological primacy, threatening national security and economic prosperity.

He cited a recent study authored by MIT Economists Jonathan Gruber, Ph.D., and Simon Johnson in their book, "Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream," that concluded millions of new jobs could be created through a new federal effort to boost federal funding for the sciences.

They analyzed 102 regions to determine which are best poised to become new Tech-Economy hubs if provided federal scientific research & development investment and determined that Rochester ranked No. 1 as the nation's top region ripe for technological and economic growth. The authors argued for the creation of a bold new federal investment in science and technology, such as would be created now through the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act.

Additionally, Schumer highlighted the region’s STAMP business park (Science Technology & Advanced Manufacturing Park) as a site that can be positioned to attract new semiconductor supply chain or chip fab manufacturing facilities thanks to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act.

In recent months he has personally urged the top brass at Samsung, Intel, and Micron to look to locate their next U.S. chip production facilities in New York, said the legislation’s provisions to provide $52 billion in emergency spending to implement Federal incentives to semiconductor companies in return for building new chip fabs in the United States is already a game-changer, creating new opportunities for places like STAMP to attract new semiconductor jobs and factories and for companies like Akoustis Technologies to expand. 

Schumer’s plan is in the process of debate on the floor of the Senate and includes his "Endless Frontier Act." The plan would invest in three main areas – domestic advanced manufacturing; research, development, entrepreneurship, and workforce training in strategically important technologies like semiconductors; and establishing regional technology hubs through federal investment in economic development across the country to be global tech centers.

Schumer is also proposing $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement the bipartisan federal semiconductor manufacturing and R&D provisions he passed into law last year as part of the annual defense bill.

Details on the supplemental appropriations proposed by Senator Schumer appear below:

• $49.5 billion allocated over five years for a CHIPS for America Fund. Funding must be used to implement the Commerce Department semiconductor incentive and R&D programs authorized by the FY21 NDAA (Sec. 9902 & 9906). Within the fund, the following appropriations are available:

                -- Incentive Program: $39 billion appropriated upfront and allocated over five years to implement the programs authorized in Sec. 9902. $2 billion is provided to solely focus on legacy chip production to advance the economic and national security interests of the United States, including helping to address the chip shortage faced by the auto industry.

                              $19 billion in FY22, including the $2 billion legacy chip production funding;

                              $5 billion each year, FY23 through FY26

• Commerce R&D programs: $10.5 billion appropriated upfront and allocated over five years to implement programs authorized in Sec. 9906, including the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, and other R&D programs authorized in Sec. 9906.

                   -- $5 billion in FY22

                   -- $2.5 billion for advanced packaging

                   -- $2 billion for NSTC

                   -- $500 million for other related R&D programs

For use across the advanced packaging, NSTC, and other related R&D programs, the following would be provided:

                   -- $2 billion in FY23

                   -- $1.3 billion in FY24

                   -- $1.1 for FY25 and FY26

• $2 billion for a CHIPS for America Defense Fund: Funding is appropriated up front and $400 million is allocated each year, over five years for the purposes of implementing programs authorized in Sec. 9903(b), providing support for R&D, testing and evaluation, workforce development, and other related activities, in coordination with the private sector, universities, and other Federal agencies to support the needs of the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.
• $500 million for a CHIPS for America International Technology Security and Innovation Fund: Funding is appropriated upfront and $100 million each year, allocated over five years to the Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Export-Import Bank, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, for the purposes of coordinating with foreign government partners to support international information and communications technology security and semiconductor supply chain activities, including supporting the development and adoption of secure and trusted telecommunications technologies, semiconductors, and other emerging technologies.

An additional $1.5 billion is provided for implementation of implement the USA Telecommunications Act that was also passed as part of last year’s NDAA to foster U.S. innovation in the race for 5G.

Details on the Endless Frontier Act

As reported by the Senate Commerce Committee, it seeks to maintain and build on U.S. science and technology leadership through investments in research and development and strengthening regional economic development, manufacturing, and supply chains. The legislation would authorize roughly $120 billion over five years for activities at the National Science Foundation (“NSF”), Department of Commerce (“DOC”), the Department of Energy (“DOE”), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”).

It advances priorities including to reduce undue geographic concentration of R&D funding, encourage broader participation of populations underrepresented in STEM, and increase collaboration across federal agencies and with nongovernmental partners on innovation. Crucially, the Endless Frontier Act helps to bridge the gap of innovative technological breakthroughs happening at America’s premier research institutions by bringing those breakthrough to the applied science and commercialization space to benefit our countries growing innovative advancements.

Notable Provisions

Technology Directorate: The Endless Frontier Act would create a new Directorate of Technology and Innovation at the NSF to support research and technology development in key technology focus areas, such as artificial intelligence and quantum science, in order to strengthen the global leadership of the United States in innovation. Major activities would include funding research and development at collaborative institutes, supporting academic technology transfer and intellectual property protection, establishing technology testbeds, and awarding scholarships and fellowships to build the relevant workforce. The Directorate would be authorized at $29 billion over fiscal years 2022 to 2026, including a transfer of $2.9B to existing NSF divisions to support basic research collaboration.

NSF Research and Development Programs: The Endless Frontier Act would authorize $52 billion over fiscal years 2022 to 2026 for existing NSF activities, representing a 7-percent increase each year. The legislation would also create a Chief Diversity Officer at NSF and increase STEM education to enhance the domestic STEM workforce. The legislation also incorporates a series of new programs, including programs for precision agriculture, rural STEM education, quantum information science, skilled technical education, critical minerals, and bioeconomy R&D.

Regional Technology Hubs: The Endless Frontier Act creates a regional technology hub program at DOC to support regional economic development in innovation. Technology hubs would carry out workforce development activities, business and entrepreneur development activities, technology maturation activities, and infrastructure activities related to the technology development. The technology hubs program would be authorized at $10 billion over fiscal years 2022 to 2026.

Manufacturing: The Endless Frontier Act would authorize close to a quadrupling of the DOC Manufacturing Extension Partnership and create a new track within the program for public benefit activities like workforce development and cybersecurity services. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership would be funded at $2.4B over fiscal years 2022 to 2026. The substitute would also authorize the Manufacturing USA program, at $1.2B over fiscal years 2022 to 2026, and add workforce and coordination provisions.

Supply Chain Resiliency: The Endless Frontier Act would establish a supply chain resiliency program at the Department of Commerce to work with the private sector, for the purpose of identifying and recommending opportunities to mitigate or address supply chain vulnerabilities in the United States and in allied and partner countries. It would also amend the recently enacted CHIPS Act to provide $2 billion in incentives for domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies, such as for the automotive industry.

Schumer’s plan also includes $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement the bipartisan federal semiconductor manufacturing and R&D provisions he passed into law last year as part of the annual defense bill. An additional $1.5 billion is provided for implementation of implement the USA Telecommunications Act that was also passed as part of last year’s NDAA to foster U.S. innovation in the race for 5G.

Steve Hyde, president & CEO, Genesee County Economic Development Center, said “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. We applaud Senator Schumer for his leadership, and agree that passage of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act would be catalytic in growing the high-tech economy at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and all across Upstate New York."

Schumer added, “These investments are key to preserving America’s position on the world stage as a current and future technological leader. In the coming days, I will push for final Senate passage of this legislation to ensure that the U.S.’ hand at home and abroad is as strong as possible as we compete with China on all fronts.”

Press release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer met with Micron Technology President and CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, to pitch Micron to locate a future plant in Upstate New York after filing the bipartisan U.S. Innovation and Competition Act* last week.

The legislation combines his Endless Frontiers Act, other bipartisan competitiveness bills, and $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement the semiconductor-related manufacturing and R&D programs authorized in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. It also supports a legacy chip production program that is essential to the auto industry, the military, and other critical industries.

During his meeting with Mehrotra, the senator said New York boasts several sites across Upstate ready to be home to a new Micron facility -- from the STAMP** campus in Western New York (in Genesee County's Alabama) and the White Pines campus in Central New York, to Marcy Nanocenter in the Mohawk Valley and Luther Forest in the Capitol Region.

Schumer expressed his strong support for the project coming to the Empire State. As new federal incentives are being considered, Micron is evaluating opportunities to strengthen the company’s manufacturing and R&D footprint.

“Micron’s interest in exploring options to expand its footprint in the U.S., and potentially in Upstate NY, is exciting news for the entire state and country. I made it clear to Micron that I strongly support locating a cutting-edge memory fab at one of the several shovel-ready sites across New York and reiterated that Upstate NY’s robust semiconductor industry makes it the perfect place for Micron to settle,” Senator Schumer said.

“Our world-class manufacturing workforce combined with New York’s considerable experience in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D means the state is revving and ready to welcome a new facility. I stand ready to help Micron harness all that the federal government has to offer for the U.S. to continue to lead the semiconductor industry and cement New York as a global hub for high-tech manufacturing.”

Schumer added, “When I first announced my proposal to create the first-ever new federal semiconductor manufacturing and R&D incentives program, I said it could put sites across New York in contention for landing new semiconductor fabs and the thousands of new jobs that follow.

"I filed the bill to fully fund my proposal last week and am working to have the Senate pass the bill by the end of this week, but already it has sparked consideration by companies like Micron to expand domestically.

"Once we are able to pass the emergency funding into law, I will work to secure the federal investment necessary and offer my all-out support to help Upstate compete for this plant and other facilities that will help shore up our domestic semiconductor supply.”

Schumer pointed out, the United States has gone from producing 24 percent of the world’s semiconductors in 2000, to just 12 percent, while China by comparison, has gone from producing zero chips to 16 percent of the world’s supply. This is because the United States is not matching the investments that other competing nations are making in order to land new job-creating semiconductor chip fabs.

The historic U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, will provide federal incentives to semiconductor fabs in the United States, helping to reverse the trend of foreign-made semiconductors and level the playing field for companies like Micron to build new fabs in the United States.

Schumer said Micron is a strong supporter of CHIPS and passage, along with strong government support for a project, would increase their consideration of building new fabs like this one in the United States.

Micron is the only manufacturer of semiconductor memory and storage solutions in the United and the world’s fourth-largest semiconductor company. Employing more than 40,000 people in 17 countries, Micron is headquartered in Boise, Idaho, where it operates one of the world’s most advanced R&D centers, and has a strong U.S. manufacturing presence in Manassas, Va.

*U.S. Innovation and Competition Act -- section by section summary here, pdf / legislation text here, pdf

**STAMP is the acronym for Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park.

Press release:

After first raising concerns about Canada’s allocation of tariff-rate quotas for U.S. exports of dairy products in June and again in September of last year, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer applauded the U.S. Trade Representative’s decision to pursue additional enforcement action with Canada over their tariff-rate quota allocations that run counter to the country’s United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) commitments:

Senator Schumer said, “Our hard-working dairy farmers have been squeezed by the double whammy of the COVID crisis and by Canada’s failure to provide U.S. dairy producers with fair market access, as agreed to under USMCA.

"I am pleased with today’s announcement that the U.S. has established a dispute settlement panel with Canada under USMCA over their tariff-rate quota allocations.

"This is a necessary step to ensuing that the Upstate New York dairy industry fully benefits from the USMCA provisions intended to expand market access opportunities.

"We must continue to hold Canada accountable and ensure fair and equal trading practices to help New York’s dairy farmers milk profits that will help them recover from the huge losses during the pandemic.”

Press release:

Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer filed the bipartisan U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which combines Schumer’s Endless Frontier Act, other bipartisan competitiveness bills, and $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to implement the semiconductor-related manufacturing and R&D programs authorized in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act and a program to support legacy chip production that is essential to the auto industry, the military, and other critical industries.

An additional $1.5 billion is provided for implementation of implement the USA Telecommunications Act that was also passed as part of last year’s NDAA to foster U.S. innovation in the race for 5G. This package of innovation bills will receive a final Senate vote in the days ahead.

“The U.S. Innovation And Competition Act will be the blueprint to make Upstate New York the global innovation and semiconductor hub as one of the most significant government investments in American innovation and manufacturing in generations,” said Senate Majority Leader Schumer.

“I’m proud that this bipartisan legislation advances my Endless Frontier Act to keep the U.S. on the cutting-edge of technology and provides a historic investment in the nation’s semiconductor industry that will strengthen national security and create jobs across Upstate New York. We must invest in R&D, innovation, and manufacturing to ensure the U.S. continues to lead the world in science and technology. The Empire state is the perfect place to grow innovation industries, including our semiconductor R&D and manufacturing, and my amendment will solidify New York as a global hub for technology.”

Schumer added, “I’m making it a top priority to move quickly and secure the necessary funding to stand up the semiconductor programs I fought to pass into law last year that will bring us one step closer to ensuring our domestic semiconductor industry can safely and securely supply our military, intelligence agencies, and other government needs. This is a step essential to growth in high-tech R&D, manufacturing, and jobs across Upstate New York and to our national security and U.S. leadership in this critical industry."

Details on the supplemental appropriations proposed by Senator Schumer appear below:

·       $49.5 billion allocated over 5 years for a CHIPS for America Fund. Funding must be used to implement the Commerce Department semiconductor incentive and R&D programs authorized by the FY21 NDAA (Sec. 9902 & 9906). Within the fund, the following appropriations are available:

o   Incentive Program: $39 billion appropriated upfront and allocated over 5 years to implement the programs authorized in Sec. 9902. $2 billion is provided to solely focus on legacy chip production to advance the economic and national security interests of the United States.

§  $19 billion in FY22, including the $2 billion legacy chip production funding

§  $5 billion each year, FY23 through FY26

o   Commerce R&D programs: $10.5 billion appropriated upfront and allocated over 5 years to implement programs authorized in Sec. 9906, including the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, and other R&D programs authorized in Sec. 9906.

§  $5 billion in FY22

·       $2.5 billion for advanced packaging

·       $2 billion for NSTC

·       $500 million for other related R&D programs

For use across the advanced packaging, NSTC, and other related R&D programs, the following would be provided:

§  $2 billion in FY23

§  $1.3 billion in FY24

§  $1.1 for FY25 and FY26 

·       $2 billion for a CHIPS for America Defense Fund: Funding is appropriated up front and $400 million is allocated each year, over 5 years for the purposes of implementing programs authorized in Sec. 9903(b), providing support for R&D, testing and evaluation, workforce development, and other related activities, in coordination with the private sector, universities, and other Federal agencies to support the needs of the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

·       $500 million for a CHIPS for America International Technology Security and Innovation Fund: Funding is appropriated upfront and $100 million each year, allocated over 5 years to the Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Export-Import Bank, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, for the purposes of coordinating with foreign government partners to support international information and communications technology security and semiconductor supply chain activities, including supporting the development and adoption of secure and trusted telecommunications technologies, semiconductors, and other emerging technologies.

An additional $1.5 billion is provided for the implementation of implementing the USA Telecommunications Act that was also passed as part of last year’s NDAA to foster U.S. innovation in the race for 5G.

Details on the Endless Frontier Act:

The Endless Frontier Act, as reported by the Senate Commerce Committee, seeks to maintain and build on U.S. science and technology leadership through investments in research and 5 development and strengthening regional economic development, manufacturing, and supply chains. The legislation would authorize roughly $120 billion over 5 years for activities at the National Science Foundation (“NSF”), Department of Commerce (“DOC”), the Department of Energy (“DOE”), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”).

The Endless Frontier Act advances priorities including reducing undue geographic concentration of R&D funding, encourage broader participation of populations underrepresented in STEM, and increase collaboration across federal agencies and with non-governmental partners on innovation.

Notable Provisions:

·       Technology Directorate: The Endless Frontier Act would create a new Directorate of Technology and Innovation at the NSF to support research and technology development in key technology focus areas, such as artificial intelligence and quantum science, in order to strengthen the global leadership of the United States in innovation. Major activities would include funding research and development at collaborative institutes, supporting academic technology transfer and intellectual property protection, establishing technology testbeds, and awarding scholarships and fellowships to build the relevant workforce. The Directorate would be authorized at $29 billion over fiscal years 2022 to 2026, including a transfer of $2.9B to existing NSF divisions to support basic research collaboration. 

·       NSF Research and Development Programs: The Endless Frontier Act would authorize $52 billion over fiscal years 2022 to 2026 for existing NSF activities, representing a seven percent increase each year. The legislation would also create a Chief Diversity Officer at NSF and increase STEM education to enhance the domestic STEM workforce. The legislation also incorporates a series of new programs, including programs for precision agriculture, rural STEM education, quantum information science, skilled technical education, critical minerals, and bioeconomy R&D.

·       Regional Technology Hubs: The Endless Frontier Act creates a regional technology hub program at DOC to support regional economic development in innovation. Technology hubs would carry out workforce development activities, business and entrepreneur development activities, technology maturation activities, and infrastructure activities related to the technology development. The technology hubs program would be authorized at $10 billion over fiscal years 2022 to 2026.

·       Manufacturing: The Endless Frontier Act would authorize close to a quadrupling of the DOC Manufacturing Extension Partnership and create a new track within the program for public benefit activities like workforce development and cybersecurity services. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership would be funded at $2.4B over fiscal years 2022 to 2026. The substitute would also authorize the Manufacturing USA program, at $1.2B over fiscal years 2022 to 2026, and add workforce and coordination provisions. 

·       Supply Chain Resiliency: The Endless Frontier Act would establish a supply chain resiliency program at the Department of Commerce to work with the private sector, for the purpose of identifying and recommending opportunities to mitigate or address supply chain vulnerabilities in the United States and in allied and partner countries. It would also amend the recently-enacted CHIPS Act to provide $2 billion in incentives for domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies, such as for the automotive industry. 

Schumer’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act is supported throughout the state. Supporters include:  

"GLOBALFOUNDRIES thanks Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his leadership, his ongoing support of our industry, and his forward-looking perspective on U.S. chip manufacturing,” said GlobalFoundries CEO Tom Caulfield. “The semiconductor supply chain is not only a top priority for the U.S., but also a global issue with many countries looking to bolster their own chip production. The Endless Frontiers Act has bipartisan sponsorship and great momentum - the time is now to act to pass the bill and ensure that the U.S. is not left behind in the race to secure onshore chip manufacturing."

M&T Bank Chairman and CEO Rene F. Jones said, “As a bank for communities, we understand that economic development and prosperity requires building an “ecosystem” that attracts, retains, develops, and engages modern talent, creating sustainable and equitable engines for economic growth. This is especially true in small and mid-tier cities, where we serve and across the country. In cities like Buffalo and Rochester, we are building a new technology hub and hosting a growing number of innovative entrepreneurial businesses that support long-term competitiveness. The Endless Frontier Act sponsored by Senators Schumer and Young has bipartisan support and backing from the business community because it helps the United States regain our position as the world’s leader in technology and innovation while building out economic opportunities that are inclusively distributed across the country.”      

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy said, “Upstate New York, and especially the Greater Rochester/Finger Lakes region, is poised to become a global hub for the critical semiconductor manufacturing industry. Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce wholeheartedly supports Senator Schumer’s amendment to the Endless Frontiers Act, which will invest in much-needed infrastructure like our Genesee County STAMP facility. This will not only help create jobs and bolster the economy in our region, but drive innovation, advancement, and competitiveness for our nation. We are grateful to Senator Schumer for his continued leadership and for championing the EFA.”

"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,” said Steve Hyde, president & CEO, Genesee County Economic Development Center. “We applaud Senator Schumer for his leadership, and agree that passage of the Endless Frontiers Act and the recommended appropriations would be catalytic in growing the high-tech economy at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and all across upstate New York."

Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Mike Oates said, “HVEDC applauds Senator Schumer’s leadership in championing the Endless Frontier Act, which will invest in the Hudson Valley's growing semiconductor manufacturing industry and high-tech research and development initiatives. The Endless Frontier Act will bolster technological innovation and create jobs as we welcome global industry leaders like ON Semi to town. We thank Senator Schumer for his continued efforts to grow the Hudson Valley’s global footprint as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.”

“EWI applauds Senator Schumer’s leadership in advancing the bipartisan Endless Frontier Act,” said Henry Cialone, president and CEO of  Buffalo Manufacturing Works/EWI. To compete on a global scale, manufacturers must be able to make effective use of emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing, advanced metal stamping with servo technology, and next generation nondestructive inspection – innovations that drive productivity, quality, and reduce cost. EWI enthusiastically supports this bill because it focuses on increasing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness through innovation and investing in the manufacturing workforce.”

Buffalo Niagara Partnership President and CEO Dottie Gallagher said, “The Endless Frontier Act represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turbo charge scientific and technological innovation in the United States. Buffalo Niagara’s economy will benefit tremendously in repositioning America as the world’s true technology leader with a critical focus on manufacturing, research, and workforce development.  The Buffalo Niagara Partnership supports this bipartisan legislation and strongly advocates for its passage.  The BNP commends Senator Schumer for leading this effort.”

"From our automobiles to our smart phones to the appliances in our kitchens, semiconductors are critical, not just to our national security, but to our everyday life,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “Senator Schumer’s leadership in ensuring that we continue to build domestic research and production capacity, encouraging more companies like CREE-Wolfspeed to invest, is great news for America and Oneida County.”

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said, “Passing this bill will be a significantly important step towards securing a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Onondaga County. Our site is known across the globe for its easy access to affordable water and power along with our great quality of life. Thank you to Senator Schumer for his steadfast leadership and advocacy for this bill and our community.” 

“ON Semiconductor applauds the inclusion of CHIPS for America Act funding in the Endless Frontiers Act substitute amendment,” said Hassane El-Khoury, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor.  “The Act will help America compete with its trading partners who have been aggressively supporting semiconductor research and manufacturing in their countries."

A section-by-section summary of the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 can be found here and the text of the legislation can be found here.

Press release:

Amid the opening up of the Small Business Administration (SBA) "Save Our Stages" online application for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer confirms about 6,000 applications have already been filed in the first five hours of the program, with more than 8,000 additional applications being worked on.

He is urging New York stages and other venues and cultural institutions to ready their paperwork, log on to the SBA.gov website for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program and file an application for their relief.  

“Knowing the SBA has already received 6,000 applications, with over 8,000 additional requests in the works, for stages and venue relief shows both the need that exists, but also the desire to bring back a variety of venues, entertainment and arts options that make New York one of the greatest states – and strongest economies,” Senator Schumer said. “So, I am urging New York stages to ready their documents, log onto the SBA site and file applications for their relief. The shows will go on!”

Schumer successfully fought to include $15 billion in the end-of-year COVID-19 relief bill in December for the "Save Our Stages" (SOS) program to provide national assistance for independent live venue operators, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions such as live performing arts organizations and museums that have been significantly impacted by the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

The American Rescue Plan that passed into law in March included an additional $1.25 billion for the program following Schumer’s efforts to add more money to the national pot. Schumer says that New York will receive the lion’s share of the total national pot and that the legislation will provide temporary relief not only to the venues, but also to the employees, promoters, managers, producers, and entertainers that support them.

Specifically, the COVID relief package created a new Small Business Administration (SBA) grant program which independent live venue operators, promoters, producers, talent representatives, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions are eligible for.

To be eligible, an entity must have experienced at least 25 percent lost revenue due to COVID-19. Schumer said the SBA grants are designed to provide up to six months of financial support that could be used to keep employees paid and New York’s prized cultural hubs open for business.

“Independent venues, like theaters and concert halls, are the beating heart of New York’s cultural life and a driving force across our economy,” Schumer said. “Our local stages, from those on Broadway to the ones in Binghamton, Buffalo, and everywhere in between, were among the first to shut down at the start of the pandemic, are struggling to stay afloat, and will be among the last to fully reopen—so they need this SOS relief, and I want to make sure they apply.” 

Specifically, the new program includes the following components:

• Creates a new grant program at the Small Business Administration to provide assistance to independent live venue operators, promoters, producers, talent representatives, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.
• Permits recipients to use grants for various costs, including those associated with COVID-19:

                 -- Rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases; and

                 -- PPE procurement, capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines.

• Grants are narrowly targeted and appropriately calculated to provide 6 months of operating assistance for small and independent live venue operators and their industry partners.

                 -- Grants are equal to the lesser of 45 percent of gross revenue during 2019; or

                 -- $10 million.

• To ensure the hardest hit of eligible applicants receive assistance, there are two priority application periods. The first 14 days, only eligible entities that have lost more than 90 percent of gross revenue can apply. The next 14 days, only eligible entities that have lost more than 70 percent can apply. A reserve of 20 percent of overall appropriated funds, $3 billion out of the $15 billion provided, will remain available for all other eligible entities to apply for after 28 days.
• There is a $2 billion set-aside of funds for eligible entities with 50 or fewer employees to ensure smaller applicants are not left out.
• An entity is still eligible for a grant if they have received a PPP loan prior to implementation of the program, but the entity may not receive a PPP loan and a grant after implementation of the program.

More details on the SBA program, including the application, can be found here.

Press release:

In a new push to combat a silent but devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic’s toll on mental health, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer this week pushed the feds to "quick release" $5 billion dollars he worked to include in the recently passed American Rescue Plan (ARP) so that the funds can give New Yorkers—and the mental health providers they rely upon—the help they’re asking for amid rising need.

Schumer said that, on average, three times more people than last year at this time report struggling with mental health symptoms like depression, anxiety, drug use and more. Schumer said that one of the biggest problems to beating these feelings and reclaiming mental health depends on timely access to care and overall access to care.

He explained that with the "quick release" of these fed funds, New York will see a surge in mental health support programs and increased access to a variety of care options.

“What many New Yorkers are saying right now is that the pandemic has taken such a mental toll that some of them need more help than others to overcome new challenges and struggles related to their mental health and happiness,” Schumer said. “In fact, New York’s increased mental health struggles are an overall silent—but devastating—effect of this pandemic with three times more people than last year reporting the onset of symptoms like depression, anxiety and more.

"Untreated, these conditions can lead to dangerous spirals that upend lives and families. That is why we need a quick release of the $5 billion in fed funds secured as part of the American Rescue Plan to beat back this surge in need and give patients and providers more help.”

COVID-19's Toll on Mental Health: Anxiety, Depression, Psychiatric Disorders Rising 

Schumer stressed the importance of combatting the mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, citing a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation that said during the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, up from 1 in 10 adults who reported the same symptoms less than a year ago.

Amongst COVID-19 survivors as well, it has been reported that 1 in 3 patients were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months of physical recovery, indicating that the mental health effects of COVID-19 will last well beyond the end of the pandemic.

“This is a critical moment where we must acknowledge the lasting mental effects of the pandemic and work to combat them before the crisis deepens,” Schumer added. “The feds (via HHS and SAMHSA) must stand up their programs ASAP and begin the hard, but important, work of getting these funds out to support our most vulnerable New Yorkers.”

“As a field, we are seeing surges in New York area patients with anxiety, depression, and loneliness for adults and children. Some COVID-19 survivors are experiencing psychiatric symptoms for the first time months into their recovery. And nationally there has been a significant increase in substance use and overdose deaths.

This is not a surprise. COVID-19 has disrupted every facet of life and people are struggling. The reality is that the pandemic has blocked common coping strategies including social interactions, daily routines, and planning for the future.

Schumer is wise to have secured these funds because there is a need in the community with new patients seeking care, and old patients returning to care.

Mental Health Funding Needed Sooner Rather Than Later

"The faster these funds are released the sooner more individuals can get the help they need,” said Aspasia Hotzoglou, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist at American Institute for Cognitive Therapy.​

The roughly $5 billion Schumer helped to deliver nationally is broken down, in part, below. New York will see a sizable portion of these funds, once they begin to flow.

• Schumer secured $3 billion for mental health and substance use block grants. These grants are used to fund treatment for a variety of New Yorkers, enhance mental health prevention efforts, and implement local, community-based mental health interventions. Based on the services they offer, New York mental health organizations—and providers—will be able to apply for these funds via SAMHSA.
• Funds would also be in the form of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants. These funds are sent directly to community organizations to provide mental health and substance abuse treatment and services, such as screening, day treatment programs, emergency services, outpatient treatment and more.
• More than $1 billion for a new federal program to create mobile crisis intervention services, which are dispatched when a person is experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis. These services can work closely with law enforcement and help protect both patients and police officers.
• $140 million for mental health needs of doctors, nurses and health care providers, who have struggled with PTSD and exhaustion during the pandemic:
  • $80 million for health care professional mental health programs;
  • $20 million for a national evidence-based education and awareness campaign targeting health care professionals and first responders;
  • $40 million for grants for health care providers to promote mental and behavioral health among their health professional workforce.
• $140 million for youth mental health.

“Bottom line here is that the feds need to get this money out the door so local organizations and providers can keep theirs open and meet the increased demand spurred by COVID,” Schumer added.

Press release:

After fighting for and securing Plug Power’s new hydrogen fuel cell "gigafactory" in Rochester, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today (April 8) announced his support to secure a $520 million federal loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to be used in constructing a network of green hydrogen facilities.

This includes the planned 68-job green hydrogen production facility at the Western New York Science, Technology, Advanced Manufacturing Park -- STAMP -- site in Genesee County between Rochester and Buffalo.

Schumer first wrote to the DOE in November 2020 to advocate for the DOE to approve a loan guarantee through its Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. Last month he doubled down in urging the new Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to provide support and resources to help make Plug Power’s plans to build its hydrogen fuel production facility in Genesee County's Town of Alabama a reality.

The DOE has since approved Plug Power, which initially submitted its Part I application in November 2020, to submit a Part II Application for a loan guarantee under the Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program which is the next step in the multistep process to ultimately secure a DOE conditional commitment and final loan guarantee agreement.  

Senator Schumer said, “Securing this federal loan guarantee will be a win-win to supercharge Plug Power to new heights by supporting its planned 68-job hydrogen fuel production facility at the WNY STAMP site in Genesee County while also creating the nation’s first U.S.-wide network of green hydrogen production facilities to produce carbon-free fuel-cell power.

"I’m glad the DOE has now given Plug Power the green light to pursue a federal loan guarantee. I’ll continue to support Plug Power to the fullest in securing this loan guarantee and creating North America’s largest green hydrogen production facility right here in the heart of Western New York. “

The $520 million loan guarantee will support Plug Power’s construction of five new green hydrogen production facilities to create the nation's first green hydrogen production network. The facilities will vary in size, producing between 10 to 60 tons of green hydrogen fuel per day up, totaling approximately 180 tons per day of liquid hydrogen production capacity.

Plug Power plans on starting with the construction of a $290 million production facility at the WNY STAMP site, which will produce 45 tons of green hydrogen daily, create 68 new jobs, and rank as North America’s largest green hydrogen production facility.

Schumer previously noted this new network of green hydrogen fuel production facilities, including the facility at STAMP, can be a national model in efforts to achieve the Biden Administration’s goal to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create quality clean-energy jobs.

Plug Power’s new production facility at STAMP would produce green hydrogen to supply fuel-cell-powered equipment and vehicles such as freight transportation and logistics handling equipment – some powered by fuel cells that will be manufactured at the upcoming Plug Power "gigafactory" slated to open in Rochester this summer.

Schumer said Plug Power can lead the charge in dramatically reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions with the construction of its first green hydrogen production facility at the STAMP campus.

Plug Power, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Latham, NY, currently employs more than 400 workers in New York to innovate, manufacture and assemble hydrogen fuel cells including about 300 workers in the Capital Region at its headquarters and Capital Region manufacturing sites in Latham and Clifton Park, and about 70 workers at its Rochester manufacturing site.

In 2020, Schumer successfully fought for Plug Power to build their new "gigafactory" in Rochester, which will manufacture hydrogen electrolyzers, used for the production of hydrogen fuel, and hydrogen PEM fuel cells used to produce electricity to power transportation equipment. Slated to open in the middle of next year, the "gigafactory" will add another 375 employees to Plug Power’s New York workforce.

Press release:

Standing at the Bug Jar in Downtown Rochester, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced today that "help is on the way" to the Finger Lakes region as he detailed specifics from the American Rescue Plan Act he just led to passage in the U.S. Senate.

Using the Bug Jar as a backdrop, Schumer explained that even more for New York’s live independent venues which are eligible for their own, DIRECT, federal pandemic relief, thanks to a provision he championed.

Save Our Stages

The Save Our Stages provision included an additional $1.25 billion for independent live venues, performing arts organizations, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions and included a critical fix that allows venues to access a PPP loan and a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, deducting the PPP loan amount from the grant amount. Schumer said the additional funding and technical fix would be a lifeline for New York’s independent venues, hard-hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, a venue had to choose between getting a PPP loan or a Save Our Stages grant.

Just last week, SBA announced that the Save Our Stages program will open to applications on April 8^th after Schumer’s continued press to implement the program. SBA also released an updated PPP application that now allows venues to apply for a PPP loan as well as a Save Our Stages grant, as Schumer intended with the fix included in the recent COVID-19 bill.

“Independent venues, like theaters, concert halls, and cinemas, are the beating heart of New York’s cultural life and a driving force in the Upstate economy. These local businesses were among the first to shut down at the start of the pandemic, are struggling to stay afloat, and will be among the last to fully reopen, costing jobs and leaving a giant hole in the fabric of our communities,” Senator Schumer said.

“That is why I made sure this relief bill included a swan song – additional reliefs dollars to boost the Save Our Stages legislation and a critical technical fix to allow venues to access PPP and flexible grant support. Getting federal dollars into the hands of struggling small businesses, like independent venues in the Finger Lakes, not only makes sense, but it’s the curtain call needed to keep small businesses like the Bug Jar going.”

Schumer said that live venues remain one of the hardest hit industries as the state carefully reopens, and dedicated assistance from the American Rescue Plan will save many venues from permanently shutting their doors to the public. It is estimated that by the end of 2020 live venues across the country lost $9 billion in ticket sales alone.

The senator said the federal assistance was imperative because independent venues not only drive economic activity within communities through restaurants, hotels, taxis and other transportation and retail establishments, but live events provide 75 percent of all artists’ income.

The December package included $15 billion to create the Save Our Stages program after Schumer’s tireless efforts to pass it into law. The program, which will be overseen by the Small Business Administration, provide assistance to independent live venue operators, promoters, producers, talent representatives, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.

Grant amounts equal to 45 percent of gross revenue in 2019 for the venue, up to $10 million, can be used for various costs, including payroll, rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases, PPE procurement, and capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines.

To ensure the hardest hit of eligible applicants receive assistance, there are two priority application periods. The first 14 days, only eligible entities that have lost more than 90 percent of gross revenue can apply. The next 14 days, only eligible entities that have lost more than 70 percent can apply. A reserve of 20 percent of overall appropriated funds, $3 billion out of the $15 billion provided, will remain available for all other eligible entities to apply for after 28 days. There is a $2 billion set-aside of funds for eligible entities with 50 or fewer employees to ensure smaller applicants are not left out.

American Rescue Plan's Impact on New York

Additionally, Schumer detailed the American Rescue Plan’s tentative impact to New York as more than $100 billion dollars. The deal includes the additional round of direct stimulus checks for tens of thousands of Finger Lakes residents, on top of aid to help schools safely reopen, vaccine distribution, critical pension relief, an expanded Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, new rental assistance, agriculture and nutrition assistance, direct local fiscal relief to revive the local economy and help solve the Finger Lakes’ budget woes, all of which adds up to essential relief for countless families, workers, restaurants, more independent live venues and small businesses across the state. 

Schumer also highlighted that researchers have said that the American Rescue Plan will cut the child poverty rate in half, which is especially important for Rochester as the city ranks the highest for child poverty among cities of a comparable size, with 48 percent of children living below the poverty line.

THIS PLAN:

• Makes the Child Tax Credit (CTC) fully refundable and increases the credit amount from $2,000 to $3,000 per child age 6 to 17 (and $3,600 per child below the age of 6). An estimated 3.56 million children across New York will benefit from this expanded tax credit, and it will lift 680,000 children in the state above or closer to the poverty line. It is estimated that New York families will receive $7.03 billion in relief from the enhanced CTC.
• Strengthens the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for childless workers, many of whom are in lower-paid but essential jobs on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response, benefitting 910,000 of these workers in New York. It is estimated that New York families will receive over $786 million will receive in relief from the enhanced ETIC.

Money for the Finger Lakes Region

Sends $22 million in direct payments of $1,400 to over 9 million New Yorkers. That includes approximately $1.4 billion in direct payments for more than an estimated 556,000 households in the Finger Lakes Region: An estimated 344,000 households in Monroe County will receive approximately a total of $858 million; an estimated 41,500 households in Wayne County will receive approximately a total of $104 million; an estimated 51,000 households in Ontario County will receive about a total of $127 million; an estimated 29,000 households in Livingston County will receive approximately a total of $72 million; an estimated 18,500 households in Orleans County will receive approximately a total of $46 million; an estimated 26,500 households in Genesee County will receive approximately a total of $66 million; an estimated 18,000 households in Wyoming County will receive approximately a total of $46 million; an estimated 16,000 households in Seneca County will receive approximately a total of $39 million; and an estimated 11,500 households in Yates County will receive approximately a total of $29 million.

As part of the deal, more than $23.8 billion in state and local aid will be going to New York, with more than $566.31 million going directly to the Finger Lakes Region. New York State government will receive over $12 billion, solving the state’s budget woes. 

With 50 percent of Rochester’s rental units currently occupied by tenants spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, Schumer explained that rental assistance, included in the American Rescue Plan, is also a necessary tool of fighting poverty.

This funding is a win-win allowing residents to cover past-due rent and future rent payments while maintaining rental streams for property owners needed to maintain this housing. Without this federal aid, too many families would be unable to make payments, through no fault of their own, and be faced with the prospect of being thrown out of their homes in the middle of a pandemic.

EPPI 2.0 builds and improves upon the success of EPPI 1.0, which was launched last summer thanks to funding Schumer secured in the CARES Act. Changes in the second round of the program include less cumbersome eligibility guidelines to qualify for rent relief; and the ability of landlords to apply for relief on behalf of their tenants with their consent.

Funding for Education

The American Rescue Plan also includes $9 billion for New York’s K-12 schools – these flexible funds will support school districts in reopening safely for in-person instruction and addressing the many needs that students are facing due to the pandemic. Finger Lakes school districts will receive $404.5 million in total in K-12 support funds.

New York’s Colleges and Universities will also receive $2.6B from the American Rescue Plan, half of which must be distributed to students in the form of financial aid awards to address hardships caused by COVID-19. Finger Lakes colleges will receive $163.8 million in total.

Funding for Transit 

Schumer was able to secure more than $7 billion in transit funding for New York, with $45.5 million going toward the Rochester Transit Services (RTS), $12,061,336 for Rochester’s Frederick Douglass Airport, and $219,000 for other Finger Lakes airports.

Multiemployer Pension Plan Relief

The legislation also delivers critical relief for suffering multiemployer pension plans – which have experienced significant additional challenges as a result of this economic crisis – without cutting benefits retirees have earned. In New York State alone, there are more than 1.3 million participants in multiemployer pension plans, and around 624,600 New Yorkers are participants in plans that are expected to receive relief directly through this legislation.

“As Majority Leader, I fought hard to ensure this deal sent real relief to the tune of $100 billion to New York for workers, families, farmers, healthcare, small businesses, including our hard-hit industries like restaurants, and communities in Ithaca—the things we need to support in order to weather this crisis and then work to recover,” Schumer said. “This marks the second biggest stimulus bill in the nation’s history—second to the CARES Act—and it comes just in time, because Finger Lakes residents still need real help to get through this.”

Press release:

After announcing that a strategic partnership between Intel and IBM will bring hundreds of new semiconductor R&D jobs to New York’s Capital Region, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer followed up on his efforts to cement Upstate New York as the global hub of the semiconductor industry and pitched Intel’s recently appointed CEO Pat Gelsinger on how Intel should build on its new partnership with IBM and locate their next semiconductor fabrication (“fab”) plant in Upstate New York.

Last week, Intel shared its plans to select a second site for its next U.S. manufacturing facility within a year, following the announcement of the IBM R&D partnership.

Schumer said New York boasts several sites across Upstate ready to be home to Intel’s next Chip fab, or the supply chain Intel would require, from Alabama's STAMP campus in Western New York and the White Pines campus in Central New York, to Marcy Nanocenter in the Mohawk Valley and Luther Forest in the Capitol Region.

Plus, Upstate New York boasts a thriving semiconductor ecosystem as evidenced by the just announced IBM partnership, the state’s top notch universities and world-class workforce, and a diversity of companies across the supply chain. Typically, semiconductor fabs bring thousands of new jobs into a region, a number which Schumer said would be a win-win-win for the local economy, Upstate New York workforce, U.S. competitiveness, and Intel itself.

“Intel’s plans to invest in a second U.S. semiconductor fab offers a game-changing opportunity for Upstate New York and I made it clear to Intel all that New York has to offer to make their U.S. expansion a huge success for the company and the country,” Senator Schumer said.

“With an existing semiconductor ecosystem, including leading R&D companies, premier universities to train the next-generation workforce, a thriving supply chain, and robust utilities that can host advanced manufacturing, Upstate New York is tailor made to be the home of Intel’s new manufacturing facility.”

Schumer added, “An Intel fab in Upstate New York would not only help shore up our domestic production of chips, but it also positions the company to take even more advantage of its partnership with IBM to develop and lead in next generation semiconductor technology, a point I made to Intel’s CEO as they consider further building out their U.S. manufacturing operations in the year ahead.

"I stand ready to give my all out support in helping Intel harness all that the federal government has to offer to continue to lead the tech industry and position New York as a global hub of semiconductor manufacturing, including pushing to fully fund the federal incentives I created in last year’s defense bill so companies like Intel receive support to invest in U.S. competitiveness and create thousands of new jobs.”

Schumer has long emphasized the importance of active federal support for the semiconductor industry. This includes his push to include provisions in the FY2021 NDAA to create new federal semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, and training programs.

He notes that even though the United States 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 percent of the global semiconductor manufacturing supply. And domestic production could be less than 10 percent, threatening U.S. reliance on foreign-made microelectronics, including from China, and posing huge risks to U.S. national and economic security.

In a meeting with then-nominee for Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, Schumer raised the urgent need to fully fund and implement the new Commerce semiconductor manufacturing grant and R&D programs he passed into law as part of last year’s defense authorization. He pointed to this Intel investment as an example for why these federal incentives are such a high priority.

In February, Schumer announced that the Senate would work on a bill in the spring of this year that includes his bipartisan Endless Frontier Act, which would provide a major infusion of federal funds for federal R&D, including for semiconductors.

As part of this competitiveness package Schumer plans to bring to the Senate floor this spring, he will be pushing for emergency funding to implement the federal semiconductor programs created in last year’s defense bill so these critical programs can be implemented to help the U.S. successfully compete with other countries, including China, for new semiconductor manufacturing investment.

Schumer has led the effort to create these historic new federal investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and R&D. Last year, Schumer unveiled his bipartisan American Foundries Act to bolster U.S. leadership in semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries. He successfully added this bill as an amendment in July 20202 to the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The new programs included in NDAA will increase federal support for semiconductor manufacturing by providing new federal incentives to conduct advanced research and development of semiconductor technology, including the creation of the NSTC, secure the supply chain, and ensure national and economic security by reducing reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturing.

Press release:

Saying Americans are clamoring for action on the issue of gun violence, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said Monday that under current law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) in concert with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) can do something—right now—to tackle the rising threat of untraceable and undetectable firearms known as "ghost guns."

“Amid the pain of another senseless shooting in this country, Americans are clamoring for the feds to do something, and so I’m calling for DOJ and ATF to use their existing authorities to act,” Schumer said.

“The lights are flashing red on the issue of ghost guns and the rising threat posed by these totally unregulated, available-to-anyone, no-background-check-required weapons. That is why we are demanding the feds take action now, before these easy-to-use assembly kits result in another foreseeable and preventable tragedy.” 

Schumer explained that "ghost guns" are sold in pieces or kits and come without background checks, serial numbers, or anything else that the current law demands of legally purchased firearms—despite the fact that only a few simple steps are required to turn these unfinished pieces into fully functional weapons. 

Schumer said New York has already seen ghost guns used in crimes, and that Attorney General Tish James has taken strong action to prevent their flow here, but that using existing authority to close the federal loophole allowing these weapons to proliferate across the country is a commonsense action that the feds can and must take to make New Yorkers safer, right now.

In September 2019, Attorney General Tish James sent cease and desist letters to companies behind a number of websites selling incomplete weaponry pieces—ghost gun kits—to New Yorkers that could be easily assembled into illegal assault weapons. In July 2020, Attorney General James announced that all the companies behind the sale of these firearms or firearms components had complied with her cease and desist letters and ended the sale of these weapons to New Yorkers. 

But Schumer, today, said this hard work is for naught unless the feds stop the unfettered flow of these kits across the country.

“In some states, it is harder to buy cold medicine than it is a ghost gun assembly kit,” Schumer said. “The feds know it, the people who are building these kits know it, and the public should not have to be threatened by it.”

“Ghost guns pose a grave threat to communities across this country,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “We know that these untraceable and undetectable weapons can cause the same immense destruction and harm as traditional firearms, yet they are not subject to the same regulations.

"My office has successfully shut down companies that provide access to these weapons and taken action to regulate them, but far more is needed to protect our families and our children. I thank Senator Schumer for taking the stand that is desperately needed to protect New Yorkers and all Americans.”

Last summer, Nassau County law enforcement officials recovered 22 ghost guns, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and narcotics and bomb-making equipment, in a crime bust on Long Island.

In February of last year, Schumer wrote to then-Attorney General William P. Barr and Acting Director Regina Lombardo urging the DOJ and the ATF to take action to stem the tide of unmarked, unregistered, and untraceable firearms that continue to proliferate the country.

Schumer said "ghost guns" continue to pose a danger to public safety and have the potential to end up in the hands of convicted criminals, domestic abusers, minors and other individuals that are otherwise prohibited from purchasing handguns under existing federal law.

Today, Schumer said Biden Administration officials, including Attorney General Garland, should do what the Trump Administration failed to do and take prompt action to rectify this regulatory failure and protect Americans lives.

Schumer requested that DOJ and ATF immediately take the following steps to address this eminent threat:

1. Amend the definition of "firearm frame or receiver" in 27 C.F.R. section 4 78.11 such that it applies to any part of a firearm which provides housing for the trigger group, including any such part (1) that is designed, intended, or marketed to be used in an assembled, operable firearm; or (2) that, without the expenditure of substantial time and effort, can be converted for use in an assembled, operable firearm.
2. Provide all available data on the frequency with which federal authorities are encountering these so-called ghost guns and efforts on the part of your respective agencies to collaborate with state and local law enforcement within 30 days. Should this information not be readily available, explain why and describe strategies on how to improve collaboration, monitoring and data collection.

Press release:

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $3,702,246 in federal block grants for seven New York tribal communities through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Indian Housing Block Grants Program.

Included is $35,007 for the Tonawanda Band of Seneca in Basom.

The funding, authorized in the American Rescue Plan, will go toward developing new affordable housing projects and improving existing units on Indian reservations and lands, in turn providing tangible relief to individuals and families. 

“Let me make this clear: safe housing, especially during a pandemic is a right,” Senator Schumer said. “This federal investment gets us closer to our goal of ensuring that every New Yorker has a safe place to call home, including our neighbors in New York’s tribal communities.

"I have long believed in the importance of directing resources to historically disadvantaged communities, and that need is even more pronounced in this crisis which has done so much to worsen those inequities. I will always fight tooth and nail so all of New York’s tribal community members have a place to call home.”

“I am proud to announce this American Rescue Plan funding to combat homelessness across the country,” Senator Gillibrand said. “The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have exacerbated housing insecurity across New York, especially in underserved communities.

"This funding will help ensure that New York’s tribal communities have access to stable, safe, and affordable housing. No one should ever have to question whether they’ll have a safe place to sleep at night during the pandemic and beyond.” 

TRIBE

CITY

AMOUNT RECEIVED

Cayuga Nation

Seneca Falls

$186,448

Oneida Indian Nation of New York

Verona

$512,804

Seneca Nation of New York

Irving

$1,745,554

Shinnecock Indian Nation

Southampton

$67,575

St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

Akwesasne

$1,119,851

Tonawanda Band of Seneca

Basom

$35,007

Tuscarora Nation

Lewiston

$35,007

Press release:

Following steadfast support for New York’s colleges and universities throughout the pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that the recently signed American Rescue Plan includes an estimated $2.6 billion for New York’s public, private, and proprietary institutions of higher education.

In Genesee County, Genesee Community College is expected to get $9.1M and Genesee-Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming BOCES is expected to get a total of $662,000. The total allotment for the Finger Lakes Region is almost $164M.

Schumer said that public and nonprofit schools will use half of their award on emergency financial aid grants to students to help them with college costs and basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare.

The other half of the funds will allow institutions to provide additional student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. Proprietary schools must use their awards exclusively to provide financial aid grants to students.

“As New York’s colleges, universities, and students face over a year of unprecedented hurdles, they do so at a steep cost that it is our responsibility to address and overcome. In prioritizing the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff, New York’s higher education institutions have ripped massive holes in their budgets and are now facing down financial devastation – and we simply can’t let that happen,” Senator Schumer said.

“As Majority Leader, I was proud to make funding for New York’s higher education institutions and students a top priority, and the American Rescue Plan will deliver this much needed $2.6 billion in assistance to help our world-class institutions through the crisis, get students safely back to classes, and get campuses across the state back to ‘normal’.”

This funding announced today is in addition to the $2.4 billion Schumer secured for New York’s institutions of higher education in the past COVID-19 relief bills. In total, Schumer has secured over $5 billion for New York’s colleges and universities in the past year.

Press release:

After championing funding for education to benefit Upstate New York’s schools, children, and students throughout the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced today that the recently signed American Rescue Plan includes $2.5 billion that will allow Upstate New York’s school districts: to fill budget gaps; address learning loss; meet the needs of students with disabilities; assist students experiencing homelessness; provide summer enrichment and afterschool programs, and more.

Schumer explained that after the COVID crisis forced schools to close, safely reopening them has and will continue to cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the federal funding allocated for them in the American Rescue Plan will help schools bring students back to their desks when New York recovers from the pandemic and returns to "normal."

“Everyone wants schools to reopen completely and for our children to be able to return to the classroom, but it needs to be done in a way that is safe for students, families, educators, and learning institutions,” Senator Schumer said.

“COVID brought unprecedented challenges that have cost a year of learning and development for students — challenges disproportionately felt by students of color, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and more.

"As Majority Leader, I was proud to make funding for our schools a priority, and the American Rescue Plan will deliver this much needed aid to get Upstate students back in school. Help is on the way for Upstate New York’s schools put behind the curve by the pandemic.”

New York Senator Shelley Mayer, Chair of the Senate Education Committee said, “Thank you to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his hard work and persistence to ensure New York schools and students receive much needed support through the American Rescue Plan. This unprecedented federal funding will put us on the right path to recover from the devastation our school communities faced during the pandemic.

"I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure that all federal aid will be used to supplement, rather than replace, state funding. The pandemic exacerbated disparities in our schools, and we must ensure that resources and staff are available to help students recover academically and work through mental and emotional health challenges. Thank you also to Majority Leader Schumer’s staff members for working closely with me in our efforts to secure additional education funds for our schools.” 

This funding is in addition to the $5 billion Schumer secured for New York school districts in the past COVID-19 relief bills. In total, Schumer has secured over $14 billion for New York school districts in the past year.

Schumer previously visited the Finger Lakes, North Country, Central New York, Western New York, Southern Tier, and Hudson Valley to advocate for federal funding for Upstate school districts.

Genesee County is in the Rochester -- Finger Lakes Region, which is earmarked to get $392 million.

Collectively, Genesee County School districts are expected to get a total of $10,677,000:

Genesee County: Alexander Central School District $603,000.00 Genesee County: Batavia City School District $4,767,000.00 Genesee County: Byron-Bergen Central School District $1,209,000.00 Genesee County: Elba Central School District $372,000.00 Genesee County: Le Roy Central School District $1,207,000.00 Genesee County: Oakfield-Alabama Central School District $724,000.00 Genesee County: Pavilion Central School District $806,000.00 Genesee County: Pembroke Central School District $1,189,000.00

Press release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that the recently signed American Rescue Plan includes $480,249,023 that will guide Upstate New York’s pandemic-battered airports and transit systems to lift off. Specifically, Upstate airports will receive $84,410,140, and Upstate transit systems will receive $395,838,883 of the total amount.

Genesee County Airport will get $32,000.

Schumer said that as the COVID crisis extends beyond what was initially estimated, impacting the air travel industry and public transportation systems for months on end, the federal funding allocated for them in the American Rescue Plan will help transportation systems keep their wheels turning while New York recovers from the pandemic and returns to "normal."

“Air travel and public transportation are among the most severely impacted industries amid the pandemic, and both are vital to the connectivity and success of the Upstate economy,” Senator Schumer said. “Airports and transit systems serve important functions in their communities, especially in more rural areas, connecting communities and residents and allowing for economic opportunities to cruise in.

"As Majority Leader, I was proud to make transportation funding a priority and the American Rescue Plan will deliver this much needed aid to keep Upstate residents connected. Help is on the way that will put Upstate New York’s transportation on the road to recovery.”

Schumer explained that the funding announced today will be allocated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and includes $12.5 million for the New York State DOT Rural 5311 program. This program aims to support public transportation in areas with populations of less than 50,000 people and funds may be used for capital and operating assistance grants to local public bodies, tribes, and operators of intercity bus services in rural areas.

This funding is in addition to the $143,980,632 Schumer secured for upstate airports and $395,239,378 for Upstate transit in the past relief bills. In total, Schumer has now secured more than $624,229,655 for Upstate airports and $624,472,505 for transit in the past year.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following joint statement on Friday:

“Confronting and overcoming the COVID crisis requires sure and steady leadership. We commend the brave actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct.

"Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign.”