U.S. Senator Charles Schumer

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to issue its draft rules for the use of small drones any day now — but that has been the status quo for months.   New York U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer has gotten involved, and it's hoped his clout may spur the FAA into making regulations official.

Drones — once the subject of science fiction, popularized on early 2000s TV shows like Dark Angel — are fast becoming common components of everyday life. But regulations have lagged behind technology’s cutting edge.

Elected officials who toured the train wreckage from last week’s fatal Metro-North crash in Westchester County say there are many questions about the so-called third rail. On Friday, they also toured the crash site, and talked about improving safety at rail crossings. As WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne reports, many questions remain about the deadliest Metro-North accident to date.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and other elected officials Friday toured the wreckage of the Metro-North train from Tuesday’s fatal crash in Westchester County.

Schumer, after seeing the burnt first car of the train, said it was looking into a coffin.

“It’s so sad and gut-wrenching. It’s one of the worst experiences I’ve had in elected life.”

He and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut along with New York congressional representatives Nita Lowey and Sean Patrick Maloney also visited the crash site. Schumer said a lot of questions need answers.

Pilot Chesley Sullenberger and relatives of passengers killed in a western New York plane crash say they'll fight any efforts to roll back hard-fought flight safety reforms.

Sullenberger, who landed a disabled passenger jet on New York's Hudson River, appeared Monday with Sen. Chuck Schumer near the site of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence.

  U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging his Senate colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at improving mental health care and suicide prevention resources for America’s veterans, including approximately one million veterans living in New York State.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union Speech Tuesday night. Local officials react to issues mentioned ranging from free community college to the state of the economy to raising taxes on the wealthy.

  U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says he is introducing legislation to make it illegal to build homemade bombs. 

The New York Democrat said Sunday that current federal rules could potentially allow someone to make homemade explosives without breaking the law. He says that the Boston Marathon bombing and the publication by terrorist groups of recipes for homemade bombs show the need to criminalize the activity.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says a highway that runs through the Hudson Valley should be expanded. He says the expansion is key to accommodating the anticipated increase in traffic with a casino coming to Sullivan County.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is calling for the federal government to reimburse hospitals around the state that spent millions preparing for Ebola — even if they didn't see a single case of the disease.

Schumer said Thursday his office surveyed hospitals around the state, determining that dozens of them spent between $25,000 and $40,000 on Ebola training, hazmat suits and other equipment. Five hospitals designated by the state as Ebola treatment centers spent an additional $5.5 million.

New York U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was in Albany today to lead the call for getting emergency anti-drug trafficking funding into the Capital Region.

Areas along the Hudson, Mohawk and Oswego rivers will soon have new tools to warn of possible floods.  U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set aside nearly $1.5 million for the installation of stream gauges in 23 counties.

A trio of storms named Irene, Lee and Sandy, changed the way New York feels about climate change.

As they did in many cities across the region, people lined the streets of New York's capital today for the 59th annual Veterans Day Parade.  Albany's parade stepped off at the corner of Central Avenue and Partridge Street at 11 a.m. Marchers proceeded down Central Avenue past a reviewing stand on the steps of the old NYS Education Building.    

New York U.S. Senator Charles Schumer joined with local veterans and servicemembers today to push a bill that would help stem the growing military suicide rate by expanding mental health screening.

Speaking the day before Veterans’ Day at the Sheehy Palmer VFW Post in Albany, Schumer said that, traditionally, the military has provided the most effective mental health screening only for those who are preparing for or returning from deployment, despite research that shows suicides occur just as often among service members who have never deployed.

Senator Charles Schumer says the federal government should investigate whether faulty guardrails have been installed along upstate New York roadways. The Democrat wrote to the Federal Highway Administration Monday asking for a review of where the rails are so they can be quickly replaced.

Trinity Industries Incorporated stopped shipments of its ET-Plus guardrails after a Texas jury ordered it to pay at least $175 million for misleading regulators. A whistleblower says the company changed the guardrails' design but never told regulators.

New York State Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk today received an official endorsement from fellow Democrat U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Senator Schumer and Congressman Paul Tonko joined Senator Tkaczyk to announce the endorsement at the Rotterdam Public Library.

Tkaczyk faces former Rotterdam Assemblyman George Amedore in a rematch of a race decided by 18 votes two years ago.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer swung through the Hudson Valley Thursday, endorsing a few Democratic candidates — some seemingly facing long odds in November.

New York’s senior Senator stopped in Poughkeepsie to endorse fellow Democrats state Senator Terry Gipson and Assemblymember Didi Barrett before heading across the Hudson River to New Paltz in Ulster County to endorse 19th Congressional District candidate Sean Eldridge.

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation that would allow the president to consider awarding a posthumous Medal of Honor to Sgt. Henry Johnson, a World War I hero from upstate New York.

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the bill's co-sponsor, says Friday that his measure passed unanimously Thursday. It now goes to the House for a vote. If approved, the legislation goes to the president for consideration.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last month recommended awarding Johnson the nation's highest military decoration for bravery in combat.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer has introduced legislation to allow a black World War I soldier from Albany to receive a posthumous Medal of Honor.

The Democrat introduced a bill in the Senate Thursday that would exempt Sgt. Henry Johnson from the rules specifying that a Medal of Honor must be awarded within five years of the heroic act being recognized. A companion bill will be introduced in the House.

Schumer announced last month that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel recommended Johnson receive the nation's highest military decoration for bravery in combat.

Two New York legislators are urging the government to study whether American passenger jets should be equipped with devices protecting them against missiles like the one that brought down a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Steve Israel are asking the Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration to consider technologies that would shield commercial aircraft.

New York’s two U.S. senators have announced funding for an airport in the Hudson Valley.

There have been several developments this week impacting oil trains, the subject of national and local debate.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday issued new proposed rules on tankers transporting oil including quickly phasing out the use of old DOT-111 rail cars for moving crude oil and other hazardous liquids. The rules would include new operational requirements to lower operating speeds and enhance braking capabilities for high-hazard flammable trains. 

Albany International Airport is receiving federal funding for an upgrade.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Paul Tonko tuesday announced that Albany International Airport will receive nearly $4 Million dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for vital airport upgrades.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was at General Electric in Schenectady this afternoon calling on fellow lawmakers to keep the Export-Import Bank intact.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says dozens of highway projects in New York state would be delayed if Congress can't reach an agreement on federal highway funding. 

The Democrat said last week that the state would be forced to either put off projects or pay for them without federal assistance if lawmakers don't replenish the federal highway trust fund.

New York’s senior U.S. senator has put his weight behind an effort to build a museum at a world-famous prison in Westchester County. He says the museum would have the potential to occupy a “must see” list for the New York City metropolitan area.

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer says the museum at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, which sits along the Hudson River, would be among the first at an active prison and a major driver of tourism for the Hudson Valley.

New York's Senior US Senator was in Troy Monday, pledging to fight possible federal cutbacks in Department of Housing and Urban Development funding to the city -  the battle cry may be moot.  

Senator Chuck Schumer voiced concerns that Collar City census figures dropped below 50,000 residents, it could lose Community Development Block Program funds earmarked for neighborhood improvements.  "It would deprive Troy of about $2.5 million in CDBG funds each year, and that would de-leverage and reduce private funding by millions and millions more."

New York Senator Chuck Schumer was in Troy today to kick off his campaign to prevent the Department of Housing and Urban Development from reforming the Community Development Block Program in a way that would remove the Collar City from eligibility.

People count. A census tally of the number of residents that came up 54 citizens short could cost Troy funding the city has come to rely on.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer stopped by the Albany Boys & Girls Club Friday afternoon, continuing his crusade against a powdered alcohol product positioned to hit store shelves in the fall.