Charles E. Schumer
DemocratU.S. Senator, NY| Age | 75 (b. 1950-11-23) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 1981-01-05 (~45 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Ashkenazi Jewish; ancestry from Chortkiv, Galicia, now Ukraine) |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Education | Harvard College (BA, Social Studies, 1971, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa); Harvard Law School (JD, 1974) |
| Prior occupation | Lawyer/politician; passed the New York bar in 1975 but never practiced law, entering elected office directly (New York State Assembly) at age 23/24 |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn (Midwood), New York |
| Languages | English |
| Marital status | Married — Iris Weinshall |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York |
| Notable relatives | Amy Schumer (comedian/actress), second cousin once removed; wife Iris Weinshall, former NYC Transportation Commissioner and COO of the New York Public Library |
Pending research: openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1998 (elected to U.S. Senate); first elected to public office in 1974 (New York State Assembly); first elected to U.S. House in 1980 |
| Previous offices | New York State Assembly (1975-1981, 45th district) · U.S. House of Representatives (1981-1999, NY 16th/10th/9th districts) |
| Caucuses | Senate Democratic Caucus (Leader) · Senate Taiwan Caucus |
| Leadership | Senate Democratic Leader (2017-present) · Senate Majority Leader (2021-2025) · Senate Minority Leader (2017-2021, 2025-present) · Chair, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (2005-2009) · Chair, Senate Democratic Policy Committee (2011-2017) · Vice Chair, Senate Democratic Caucus (2007-2017) · Chair, Senate Rules and Administration Committee (2009-2015) |
| Ideology | DW-NOMINATE 1st-dimension score approximately -0.353 (114th Congress), placing him in the liberal range of Senate Democrats |
| Signature legislation | Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993; original House author) · Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994; House sponsor) · Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (helped write/carry in House) · Schumer Box (credit card disclosure requirements) · James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (co-author/champion) · American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (as Majority Leader) · Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (as Majority Leader) · Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (as Majority Leader) · CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (as Majority Leader) · Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022, as Majority Leader) · Respect for Marriage Act (2022, as Majority Leader) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $837,000–$2,405,000 (2023) · estimate
| Congressional Federal Credit Union savings deposit | other · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
| TIAA Traditional plans (spouse Iris Weinshall) | fund · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
Top donors: Goldman Sachs ($543,000 (1989-2014)) · Citigroup Inc. ($484,000 (1989-2014)) · JPMorgan Chase & Co. ($365,000 (1989-2014))
Top industries: Securities & Investment · Lawyers/Law Firms · Real Estate · Commercial Banks
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Authorized Audit of Friends of Schumer 1998 Campaign — Excessive Contributions and Improper Disclosures
The FEC conducted an authorized audit of Schumer's 1998 Senate campaign committee and found over $951,000 in contributions exceeding legal limits and $6.4 million in improperly disclosed disbursements. The audit was not treated as a prosecutable criminal matter, but the committee was required to refund excessive contributions and reportedly paid a civil fine of approximately $130,000–$138,000. No criminal referral was made and the violations were characterized as administrative/bookkeeping in nature.