Senator Charles E. Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is considered one of Washington's fiercest political practitioners. Indeed, Democratic leaders turned to Mr. Schumer to engineer the party's Senate comeback in the 2006 midterm elections, appointing him chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
He did not disappoint. Democrats picked up six seats that year, enabling their party to retake a majority, after Mr. Schumer had micromanaged every Senate race around the country. He required, for example, that candidates respond to attacks by their opponents within 24 hours, a rule he says he learned in 1998 when he first ran for the Senate and defeated the incumbent Republican, Alfonse M. D'Amato, in a bruising contest.
In the Senate, Mr. Schumer has distinguished himself governmentally as one of President Bush's harshest critics. For example, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, he pushed Democrats to use an extreme legislative tactic, the filibuster, to block some of the Bush administration nominees for federal judgeships.
He also led a Senate inquiry in 2007 into the ouster of eight United States attorneys in what critics claim was a political purge that was orchestrated by the White House.
Mr. Schumer's thirst for publicity has become the stuff of playful banter. He once prompted a colleague to assert that the "the most dangerous place in Washington is between Charles Schumer and a television camera."
Even before arriving in the Senate, Mr. Schumer stood out for his aggressive tactics. As a member of the House of Representatives, where his district included parts of Brooklyn and Queens, he became well-known with weekly Sunday news conferences intended to generate headlines on what are normally slow news days.
Mr. Schumer is a native of Brooklyn. He began his political career in 1974, when he won a seat in the New York Assembly. He served three terms, then in 1980 ran successfully for an open seat in the House, where he served until 1998. -- Raymond Hernandez (June 8, 2007)
News about Charles E. Schumer, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Highlights from the Archives
Schumer in a ‘Tough Spot’ After Supporting Mukasey
The New York Democrat’s support of the president’s nominee for attorney general is a lesson on the risks of taking credit.
November 2, 2007WashingtonNews
In Opposing Tax Plan, Schumer Breaks With Party
The senator has been reassuring Wall Street managers that he will resist efforts to increase taxes on their profits.
July 30, 2007WashingtonNews
His Role in Democrats’ Takeover May Help Schumer Help His State
Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York is enjoying a level of clout that eluded him in the eight years since he was first elected to the upper chamber.
November 24, 2006N.Y. / RegionNewsFor Schumer, a Shift In Style as a Senator
Charles E. Schumer says his personal life has not changed that much since he became New York's junior Senator. But he is sweating the details of a change in his political life.
March 1, 1999New York and RegionBiographyRecipe for an Upset: Schumer's Sureness, D'Amato's Missteps
Fourteen days before Election Day, Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato, in a private meeting with supporters, described Mr. Schumer with a Yiddish vulgarism and mocked another lawmaker from New York City for being overweight.
November 8, 1998New York and RegionNewsUpbeat Schumer Battles Poor Polls, Low Turnouts and His Image
For a politician running for office, there are few more dispiriting sights than a room as empty as the one Charles Schumer encountered in midtown Manhattan.
May 16, 1998New York and RegionSeriesBig Shots Across the Aisle
New Yorkers in Congress find a star vehicle.
March 10, 1995WashingtonBiographyArticles
Panel to Look at Foreclosure Practices
A Senate subcommittee plans to investigate whether mortgage lenders are deepening the foreclosure crisis by levying dubious fees on troubled borrowers.
April 29, 2008At Hearing, Pointed Questions About What Led to a Bailout
Senate hearings got underway on Thursday over the role of the government in Bear Stearns’s collapse.
April 4, 2008
Fed Chief Sees Possible Contraction in First Half
In citing the likelihood of a recession, Ben S. Bernanke said the home mortgage crisis remained the single biggest drag on prospects for a recovery.
April 3, 2008In Senate, Agreement on Housing
Senate Democrats and Republicans reached a tentative deal on a package of tax breaks, grants and tax-exempt bonds to help homeowners and stabilize the housing market.
April 3, 2008
Benefits Denied for Officers’ Kin, Stirring Criticism
Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said the families of slain auxiliary officers should be given family death benefits.
March 25, 2008
Opponents Organize Against State’s Plan to Scrap Javits Center Expansion
The decision to scrap the expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center by the Spitzer administration has prompted opposition from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and other officials.
February 19, 2008U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs
The federal government released $450 million in emergency funds to provide relief to low-income homeowners struggling with rising costs of heating their homes.
January 17, 2008Giant Write-Down Is Seen for Merrill
Merrill Lynch is expected to suffer $15 billion in losses stemming from soured mortgage investments, almost double its original estimate.
January 11, 2008Bill Would Give Tax Break to Exonerated Prisoners
The measure pushes the issue of taxation to the forefront of the debate over how to compensate the wrongly convicted properly for the years they spent behind bars.
December 7, 2007City Urged to Rethink Rail Access to West Side
Senator Charles E. Schumer said Friday that the money budgeted for the development of the Hudson Yards should be put instead into an extension of the No. 7 subway line, including a new station at 10th Avenue.
December 1, 2007Abdicate and Capitulate
Democrats have done precious little to avoid giving the job of attorney general to a man who does not even have the integrity to take a stand against torture.
November 11, 2007Alternative Tax Showdown
The House and Senate are poised to vote on a vitally important tax bill that will test whether Democrats have courage and convictions.
November 8, 2007Justice Nominee Gets 2 Key Votes From Democrats
The confirmation of Michael B. Mukasey appeared to be all but certain after Senators Dianne Feinstein and Charles E. Schumer gave him their support.
November 3, 2007Schumer in a ‘Tough Spot’ After Supporting Mukasey
The New York Democrat’s support of the president’s nominee for attorney general is a lesson on the risks of taking credit.
November 2, 2007Seeds of a Better Farm Bill
What a New York senator can do to fix U.S. agriculture policy.
October 28, 2007SEARCH 923 Articles:
Related Links
Official Senate Page (senate.gov)
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (dscc.org)
2007-08 Election Cycle Contributions (PoliticalMoneyLine)
Biography (vote-smart.org)
Recent Book by Charles Schumer
Positively American: Winning Back the Middle-Class Majority One Family at a Time. By Charles Schumer. 2007.
- Official Book Web Site
- Review by Michiko Kakutani
- Sunday Book Review By Eric Alterman
More Articles on Charles Schumer
Interview with Charles Schumer
NPR (Fresh Air), January 30, 2007
"The Bush-Cheney Era Ends Here"
New York Magazine, April 10, 2006
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