Charles Schumer

Short Biography

Chuck Schumer was born on November 23, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, USA as Charles Ellis Schumer. He has been married to Iris Weinshall since September 21, 1980. They have two children.Schumer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Selma (née Rosen) and Abraham Schumer. His family is Jewish. He attended public schools in Brooklyn, scoring a perfect 1600 on the SAT, and graduated as the valedictorian from James Madison High School in 1967. Schumer competed for Madison High on the It's Academic television quiz show.He attended Harvard College, where he became interested in politics and campaigned for Eugene McCarthy in 1968. After completing his undergraduate degree, he continued to Harvard Law School, earning his Juris Doctor with honors in 1974. Schumer passed the New York State Bar Exam in early 1975, but never practiced law, entering politics instead.Schumer and his wife, Iris Weinshall, were married September 21, 1980. The ceremony took place at Windows on the World at the top of the north tower of the World Trade Center. Weinshall was the New York City Commissioner of Transportation from 2000 to 2007. The Schumers have two children, Jessica and Alison, both graduates of their father's alma mater, Harvard College. The older daughter, Jessica, is Chief of Staff and General Counsel of the Council of Economic Advisers. Schumer told a Utica television station that his father was brought up in the Utica area.Schumer is a cousin of comedian Amy Schumer's father.While Congress is in session, Schumer lives in a rented house with fellow Democratic politicians George Miller, Dick Durbin, and Bill Delahunt.