Chuck Schumer Biography

Chuck Schumer was born on 23rd November 1950 in the Sheepshead Bay neighbourhood of Brooklyn. His family includes his father, Abraham Schumer—who ran an exterminating business, mother Selma Schumer—a homemaker—and two younger siblings—a brother Robert and a sister Fran.

For his education, he went to public schools in Brooklyn – P.S. 197 and James Madison High School. In 1967, he graduated from the latter and went on to join the Harvard College where he first pursued studies in Chemistry before shifting to Social Studies (after working in Eugene McCarthy's 1968 Presidential campaign).

After graduating from there in 1971, he began his law studies at Harvard Law School and graduated from there in 1974. He then cleared the New York State Bar exam; though despite this he never chose to pursue a career in law.

In 1974, Chuck Schumer was elected to the New York State Assembly. He succeeded Congressman Stephen Solarz in filling the 45th district seat. In 1975, when he assumed the office, he was the youngest member of the assembly since Theodore Roosevelt. He continued in the office for three terms till 1980.

In 1980, he successfully contested for the US House of Representative seat and represented the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens from 1981 to 1999. The district was first New York's 16th congressional district but was redistricted to 10th District in 1983 and 9th District in 1993.

During his time in the office, he emerged as the highly effective advocate of legislations meant to fight violent crimes. He became known for the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the 1994 Violence Against Women Act.

He also backed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and sponsored a legislation that made it mandatory for credit card companies to provide more details about fees and interest rates while soliciting new customers. These details are now known as Schumer Boxes.

In 1998, Chuck Schumer ran for and was elected to the U.S. Senate. He defeated Republican candidate Alfonse D’Amato and has since then won all the following senatorial re-elections in 2004, 2010 and 2016.

In his first Senate term, he announced that he would visit all the 62 counties of New York every year, a promise he has kept. He became a Senior Senator in the year 2000 following the retirement of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

In office, he helped passed laws in trade and consumer protection matters including making generic drugs more accessible to consumers, protecting children from online sex offender and protecting consumers from hazardous or harmful products.

Post 9/11 terrorist attacks, Chuck Schumer worked to deliver $20 billion in order to back New York's security and recovery efforts.

He also backed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and is a supporter of same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

His 2004 Senate re-election got him a couple of important posts – the first was a seat on the Senate Finance Committee that takes care of the country’s tax, trade, social security and healthcare legislation.

Secondly, he was made the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) which is responsible for raising funds and recruiting Democratic candidates in Senate elections. His success in 2006 elections got him another term. In his two terms (till 2009) as the chairman, Chuck Schumer successfully expanded the number of Democratic seats (from 45 to 59) in the Senate.

In 2007, he was named the Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Conference (till 2017) and also appointed the Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (till 2009) which is responsible for the country’s economic policies.

In 2007 again, he authored a nonfiction book – Positively American: Winning Back the Middle-Class Majority One Family at a Time – with Daniel Squadron. In the book, he outlined the strategies that helped the Democrats temporarily claim victory in both Congress and the Senate.

In 2009, he was appointed the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and Joint Printing Committee. He remained in both positions till 2015.

In 2011, he became the Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and Joint Library Committee. In the former position, he continued till 2017 and in the latter office till 2013.

In 2013, as the chairman of the Immigration, Refugee and Border Security Sub-Committee of the Judiciary Committee, he lead the bipartisan group of four Democratic and four Republican senators – Gang of Eight – who wrote and sponsored the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. The bill passed the Judiciary committee and the Senate but the House refused to vote on it.

In 2016, the Senate Democratic Caucus chose Chuck Schumer as the Senate minority leader, a first for any New York Senator. He succeeded Harry Reid in this position and assumed office in January 2017. He was in this office till January 2021.

In 2018, he introduced Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act that aims to decriminalize and regulate marijuana together with forming a trust fund to assist women-owned and minority-owned marijuana businesses and encourage research on the effects of marijuana use on public health.

In December 2019, during the Donald Trump’s impeachment hearing Chuck Schumer sought to negotiate the terms of the trial, calling for additional witnesses and documents before the start of the Senate trial. However, his request was voted down by the majority.

In March 2020, he helped the passage of $2 trillion relief package bill aimed at providing economic relief from the impacts of the novel coronavirus.

In 2021, with Democrats gaining Senate majority, Chuck Schumer assumed the responsibilities of the Senate majority leader

Chuck Schumer has been the recipient of numerous honorary degrees including Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Hunter College, Adelphi University and Pace University as well as Doctor of Laws from Brooklyn Law School and New York Law School.

Additionally, he has also received Spirit of Enterprise Award from U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2020); Legislative Recognition Award from American Ambulance Association (2019) and Distinguished Community Health Leadership Award from National Association of Community Health Centers (2019).

Chuck Schumer married Iris Weinshall in 1980 and the couple has two daughters – Jessica Emily and Alison Emma.