Press Releases
Senate Rules Committee Holds Hearing on Improving Early and Absentee Voting Opportunities
WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration heard testimony today from election experts on best practices involving absentee and early voting. "Part of being American is recognizing the importance of giving a voice to all Americans to participate in our democracy," Schumer said. "Today, with busy lives and work schedules more and more Americans are looking for alternatives to voting on Tuesdays." Congress established Election Day as a Tuesday in 1845 because that was … Continue Reading
May 14, 2014
Senate Rules Committee Holds Hearing on Improving Election Data Collection
WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration heard testimony today from election experts on using election data collection to improve how elections are conducted across the country. "Without concrete data to guide us, we are often simply taking our best shot at the dartboard of election reforms," Schumer said. "While we have heard about great suggestions for reform, the starting place must be developing a solid understanding of what is happening in polling places across … Continue Reading
April 30, 2014
Schumer: Senate Democrats Will Bring Udall Constitutional Amendment to Undo McCutcheon, Citizens United Decisions to the Floor This Year
Senator Tom Udall's Constitutional Amendment Reverses Supreme Court Decisions Such As Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v. FEC; Allows Congress and States to Regulate Campaign Finances Including Super PACs Schumer Made Announcement at Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Hearing Where Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Testified Schumer: Amendment Would Prevent Us from Going Back to the Days of the Robber Barons Today, Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), … Continue Reading
April 30, 2014
Senator Roberts: The First Amendment Doesn't Allow us to Silence Opposition
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, today said McCain-Feingold was a failed attempt to regulate free speech and further attempts to restrict political speech infringe upon the First Amendment. Roberts made these remarks at a Senate Rules Committee hearing entitled "Dollars and Sense: How Undisclosed Money and Post-McCutcheon Campaign Finance Will Affect the 2014 Election and Beyond." The following is Senator Roberts' … Continue Reading
April 10, 2014
Schumer Announces Step Toward Historic Name Change for Government Printing Office
SCHUMER ANNOUNCES STEP TOWARD HISTORIC NAME CHANGE FOR GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICES. 1947, The Government Publishing Office Act of 2014, Reported Out Of Senate Rules Committee Schumer: Updating the name of the Government Printing Office to the Government Publishing Office is the next logical step in this agency's long and proud service to our country WASHINGTON, DC-- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, announced today that S. 1947, The … Continue Reading
April 10, 2014
Schumer Announces The SENTRI Act Has Passed The Senate Rules Committee
SCHUMER ANNOUNCES THE SENTRI ACT HAS PASSED THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE Bipartisan legislation improves voting opportunities for service men and women including the creation of important safeguards for military and overseas voters Schumer: It is our obligation to do everything in our power to make sure our troops have an opportunity to register and exercise their right to vote WASHINGTON, DC-- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, … Continue Reading
April 10, 2014
Schumer Announces Election Assistance Commission Nominees Thomas Hicks and Myrna Pérez Clear Senate Rules Committee
SCHUMER ANNOUNCES ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION NOMINEES THOMAS HICKS AND MYRNA PÉREZ CLEAR SENATE RULES COMMITTEE WASHINGTON, DC-- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, announced today that Thomas Hicks and Myrna Pérez, nominees to the Election Assistance Commission, have been reported out to the full Senate. Both nominees were reported out of the Rules Committee by voice vote on April 9, 2014. The nominees will now be … Continue Reading
April 09, 2014
Senate Rules Committee Holds Hearing on State Programs that Expand the Number of Registered Voters and Make Voter Lists More Accurate
SENATE RULES COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON STATE PROGRAMS THAT EXPAND THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND MAKE VOTER LISTS MORE ACCURATE State officials describe successful programs that automatically integrate motor vehicle records with voter rolls, and use regional list matching to reduce errors Schumer: We must focus on ways to prevent voter registration problems instead of trying to fix them at the polls WASHINGTON, DC-- The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chaired by U.S. … Continue Reading
March 12, 2014
Schumer to Introduce Legislation Aimed at Making Elections More Voter Friendly, While Also Increasing Efficiency and Reducing Costs for the Administration of Elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2014 SCHUMER, AT RULES COMMITTEE HEARING, ANNOUNCES HE WILL INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT KEY PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON ELECTION ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATIONS & UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY TO STREAMLINE AND IMPROVE AMERICAN ELECTIONS Schumer to Introduce Legislation Aimed at Making Elections More Voter Friendly, While … Continue Reading
February 12, 2014
SCHUMER HOLDS SENATE RULES COMMITTEE HEARING WITH TOP LAWYERS FROM ROMNEY, OBAMA CAMPAIGNS TO DISCUSS PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVING ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
The bipartisan Presidential Commission onElection Administration has released its report outlining key findings andrecommendations on improving voting in America The bipartisan Commission's recommendationsinclude modernizing the registration process, expanding the period of time forvoting before Election Day and implementing state-of-the-art techniques tomanage polling places more efficiently The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chaired by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, held a … Continue Reading
January 29, 2014
SCHUMER HOLDS SENATE RULES COMMITTEE HEARING TO HEAR TESTIMONY ON STRENGTHENING MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTING
Bipartisanlegislation improves voter registrationand voting opportunities for service members, requires voter assistance as aroutine part of a service members' annual training and provides importantsafeguards to the right to vote for military and overseas voters Schumer:We must do more to make sure that our troops serving overseas receive theirballots in a timely manner and that those ballots get counted on Election Day WASHINGTON, DC-- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the … Continue Reading
December 11, 2013
Senator Roberts' Statement at Rules Committee Hearing on EAC Nominations
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, today issued the following statement at a hearing on the nominations of Thomas Hicks and Myrna Perez to the Election AssistanceCommission (EAC). (Audio and video of Senator Roberts' remarks here.) "This Commission is redundant and ought to be eliminated. If the majority sees the light maybe we can finally get rid of this commission and save the taxpayers some money," Senator … Continue Reading
November 22, 2013
Democrats Have Reduced Senate to a Rubber Stamp of the Obama Administration
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, today spoke on the Senate floor against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) use of the nuclear option to radically change the rules of the U.S. Senate. Audio and video of Senator Roberts' floor speech is here. The following is text of the Senator's prepared remarks: "Mr. President, under the rules of this body, it takes 67 votes to end debate on a rules change. As a continuing … Continue Reading
September 23, 2013
SCHUMER CELEBRATES ARRIVAL OF STATUE OF ROCHESTER HERO FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING.
Douglass Statue in the Capitol After Five Year WaitSchumer Adds One more Statue of Prominent African Americans to the Capitol. Now there are Four Statues of African Americans - Out of More Than 180 Sculptures of Prominent Americans in the Capitol; Schumer: After a five year Struggle, This Statue to Honor Rochester Hero is placed in Emancipation Hall Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer celebrated the arrival of statue of Americanhero and Rochester resident, Frederick Douglass, to reside … Continue Reading
September 23, 2013
Schumer Introduces a Concurrent Resolution to Accept a Statue of Frederick Douglas
SCHUMERINTRODUCES A BILL TO FINALLY DELIVER STATUE OF ROCHESTER'S OWN GREAT AMERICANCIVIL RIGHTS HERO, FREDERICK DOUGLASS, TO U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING - AFTER FIVEYEARS OF LEGISLATIVE STALEMATE Schumer'sHistoric Resolution Would Direct Congress To Accept D.C.'s Douglass Statue -Completed In 2007 - To Reside In The Capitol And Immortalize A Hero FromRochester Only Two Out OfMore Than 180 Sculptures Of Prominent Americans In The Capitol Are AfricanAmerican Schumer: After ALong … Continue Reading
September 19, 2013
Schumer Announces FEC Nominee Lee Goodman and Ann Ravel Clear Senate Rules Committee
The nominees will fill Democratic andRepublican vacancies on the Federal Election Commission Schumer: Once confirmed, Goodman and Ravel canhelp restore the agency to fully functioning watchdog for the nation'scampaign finance laws WASHINGTON, DC-- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, announced that Lee Goodman and Ann Ravel, nominees to the Federal Election Commission, have been reported out to the full Senate by the Committee. … Continue Reading
July 15, 2013
Senator Roberts Blasts Leader’s Nuclear Option
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration today blasted the Senate Majority Leader's attempts to destroy the rights of the minority by breaking the rules of the U.S. Senate. "In breaking the rules to change the rules, the majority seeks to destroy what has made the Senate great," Roberts said. "The Senate has always been the one place where all Americans could be assured that they would have a voice. "Every American, … Continue Reading
June 12, 2013
Schumer Urges Confirmation of Davita Vance-Cooks to Lead Government Printing Office
Vance-Cooks Would be First Woman and FirstAfrican-American Confirmed as Public Printer of the United States Schumer: Ground-breaking Nominee is "Uniquely Qualified"and Ready to Serve WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, announced today that he will urge his colleagues to move expeditiously to confirm Davita Vance-Cooks as Public Printer of the United States, the executive who leads the Government Printing Office. If confirmed, … Continue Reading
April 25, 2012
SCHUMER CALLS FOR QUICK PASSAGE OF E-FILING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD INCREASE TRANSPARENCY OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS
Senator ChairsRules Hearing on 'Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act' - Bill Would RequireSenate Candidates To File Campaign Finance Reports Electronically With FEC Bipartisan Legislation,Introduced By Senator Tester, Would Call For Senate To Abandon Burdensome &Costly Paper Filing System Schumer: BillWould Increase Transparency and Accessibility of Senate Candidate Filings &Save Taxpayers Thousands Annually Washington, DC -U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the … Continue Reading
March 29, 2012
SCHUMER HOLDS SENATE RULES COMMITTEE HEARING ON NEW VERSION OF DISCLOSE ACT
Already In 2012,Outside Groups Have Spent $90M Influencing Elections-Many Raise Funds inUnlimited Amounts and Do Not Disclose Donors LegislativeHearing Focuses on S. 2219, DISCLOSE Act of 2012, Streamlined Proposal to RequireOutside Political Groups to Disclose Their Donors WASHINGTON,DC-U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, convened a hearing today on S. 2219, the DISCLOSE Act of 2012. The bill is a new legislative effort to blunt the harmful impacts … Continue Reading
