Tag: chuck schumer

‘Who Could Be That Dumb’: Top Democrat Wants Federal Crackdown on Fake Vaccine Cards

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that the federal government needs to crack down on the proliferation of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in the midst of restrictions and rhetoric around vaccine passports.

The majority leader, in an announcement, called for “all-out enforcement” by the federal government.

“They are paying money for a fake card and risking prosecution,” said Schumer, holding up a picture of a falsified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) card. “Who could be that dumb, who could be that dumb, the vaccine is free, the vaccine is safe, get the vaccine.”

Schumer said that the practice is illegal while saying that there needs to be a federal education campaign showing that it is against the law to sell or buy a fake card.

“Too many people,” he said, “are looking to buy them.”

Schumer is demanding U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI team up with officials from the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a crackdown on the counterfeit cards and start a campaign to make clear that forging the cards could land people in federal prison.

He also wants the Justice Department to immediately prioritize cases involving fake vaccine cards and is pushing for Customs and Border Protection to work harder to find counterfeit cards being sent from overseas.

Keep reading

Schumer Says Senate Will Move Ahead on Marijuana Legalization With or Without Biden

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that Senate Democrats will move forward on marijuana legalization with or without Joe Biden’s support, highlighting Biden’s lack of influence within his own party.

In a Politico interview published Saturday, Schumer indicated that Biden’s hesitation to back federal marijuana legalization won’t stop the Democrats from enacting it.

“He [Biden] said he’s studying the issue, so [I] obviously want to give him a little time to study it. I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will,” the Senate Democratic leader said. “But at some point we’re going to move forward, period.”

“When a few of the early states — Oregon and Colorado — wanted to legalize, all the opponents talked about the parade of horribles: Crime would go up. Drug use would go up. Everything bad would happen,” Schumer explained.  “The legalization of states worked out remarkably well.” 

“They were a great success. The parade of horribles never came about, and people got more freedom. And people in those states seem very happy,” he added.

Schumer’s remarks come after Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki noted on Friday that Biden “believes in decriminalizing the use of marijuana, but his position has not changed” on broader nationwide legalization.

Keep reading

Schumer says Democrats will probe extremist groups after Capitol attack

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Tuesday that Senate Democrats will launch probes stemming from the Jan. 6 Capitol attack after they take back control of the chamber on Jan. 20. 

Schumer sent a letter to his caucus, a copy of which was obtained by The Hill, outlining plans for investigating both the mob violence and related issues and vowing “vigorous oversight.” 

“Our caucus will make sure that the events are fully investigated and every necessary security measure is in place for the upcoming Inauguration and the days leading up to it,” Schumer wrote in the letter.

Keep reading