DNC convention speakers: What to know about Sen. Chuck Schumer

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As the 2020 Democratic National Convention gets underway, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is expected to speak on Tuesday, when the theme will revolve around meeting the nation’s challenges.

Speakers are expected to set up cameras in their home states and Schumer said during a press conference this weekend that he will appear in front of the Statue of Liberty – from the Brooklyn waterfront – for an address focused on immigration and its importance to New York and the U.S. overall.

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Schumer, 69, was elected congressman in 1980, at the age of 29. He represented New York’s 9th congressional district for 18 years.

In 1998 Schumer was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he has served since. He is currently the vice chair of the Senate's Democratic Conference and has served as minority leader since 2017.

Schumer has helped lead New York through several crises, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Superstorm Sandy, in addition to the recent coronavirus outbreak that hit the state hard earlier this spring.

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Some of the prominent legislation that he has been a leading sponsor on include the Brady Bill, which requires a waiting period of five business days for prospective handgun buyers while authorities conduct a background check, as well as the Violence Against Women Act, which aimed to improve responses to domestic violence incidences.

In 2018, under Schumer’s Democratic leadership, the U.S. government partially shut down over immigration policies. Specifically, Democrats were pushing for protections for Dreamers, or young immigrants who came as children to the country illegally, or on visas that later were overstayed. The White House dubbed the shutdown the “Schumer shutdown.”’

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Aside from Schumer, Tuesday’s other speakers include former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, former Secretary of State John Kerry, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Bill Clinton and former second lady Jill Biden.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s convention – which was scheduled to take place in Milwaukee – will be held virtually.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is expected to accept his party’s nomination on Thursday.