Schumer, Charles E.

Charles Ellis Schumer was born November 23, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he began his political career in the New York State Assembly from 1975 to 1980, then served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Brooklyn and Queens districts from 1981 to 1999. He was first elected to the Senate in 1998 and became New York's senior senator in 2001 when Daniel Patrick Moynihan retired. Elected to a fifth term in 2022, Schumer is now the longest-serving U.S. senator from New York.

Schumer has held major leadership positions within the Senate Democratic Caucus. He served as Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus from 2007 to 2017, chaired the Senate Democratic Policy Committee from 2011 to 2017, and was elected by his colleagues as Leader of the Democratic Caucus in 2016—the first New York senator to hold that position. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 2021 to 2025 and currently serves as Senate Minority Leader, a role focused on setting his party's legislative priorities and managing floor strategy.

Throughout his Senate tenure, Schumer has prioritized improving New York's economy and delivering federal resources to his state. He has championed legislation on middle-class issues including college tuition tax credits, generic medication access, and agricultural support for dairy farmers. He played a key role in securing $20 billion in federal aid following the September 11 attacks and $63 billion in relief after Superstorm Sandy. As Majority Leader, he led the Senate through landmark legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. His committee assignments include the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.