Charles Ellis Schumer

Current Position and Previous Key Roles:

Nationality: American (born November 23, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York, United States). He is a U.S. citizen and comes from a family of Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland, and Austria-Hungary.
Marriage: Married to Iris Weinshall. They have been married since 1980 and live together in Brooklyn, New York.
Children: He has two daughters: Jessica Schumer (born 1984, works in technology, such as Amazon) and Alison Schumer (born 1989, works in technology, such as Facebook/Meta).

Religious Affiliation:
Jewish (Orthodox Jewish background but practices Reform/Conservative). He describes himself as “shomer Israel” (guardian of Israel) and is highly active in the Jewish community. His family hails from Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and he often refers to his Jewish identity in speeches.

Current Position:
He has served in the Senate since January 3, 1999, and his current term continues until January 3, 2029. In the 119th Congress (2025–2026), he is the Senate Minority Leader.

Notable Previous Positions:
U.S. Representative from various New York districts in the House of Representatives (1981–1999, including districts 9, 10, and 12).
Senate Majority Leader from 2021 to 2025.
Senate Minority Leader from 2017 to 2021 (and again from 2025).

Has he traveled to Israel :

Yes, he has made several official visits to Israel. He is known as a strong supporter of Israel, making frequent trips with AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and congressional delegations. He has met with Israeli leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu, President Herzog, and others. In his AIPAC and congressional speeches, he emphasizes unwavering support for Israel (including military and security aid) and calls himself a “guardian of Israel.” His trips often focus on security issues, meeting with hostage families (after the October 7, 2023 attack), and strengthening U.S.-Israel relations.