"If the voters sent one clear message in November, it's that they want Democrats and Republicans to work together and get something done," said Schumer. "My agenda reflects the fact that we can bring together members of both parties to pass legislation that will make a difference in the lives of American families without getting bogged down in partisan wrangling."

Schumer pointed to six major bipartisan policy proposals that would compose the heart of his legislative agenda:

1. Election Reform: Schumer today introduced the Federal Election Modernization Act with Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), legislation that would provide states with the expertise and financial incentive to upgrade their voting systems. The bill would establish a blue ribbon commission composed of federal, state and local experts to study new voting methods and election practices and create a state matching grant program funded at $2.5 billion over five years to help states implement them.
2. Prescription Drugs: Schumer and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) will reintroduce the Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act, comprehensive legislation to help bring lower- cost prescription drugs to the marketplace. The bill clears many of the major obstacles that delay the approval of generic drugs by closing loopholes in federal patent laws. It is estimated that the bill could save consumers nationwide up to $71 billion over ten years in prescription drugs costs, including $4.7 billion for consumers in New York.
3. College Tuition: Schumer will introduce legislation to provide a college tuition tax cut with Senators Joe Biden (D-DE), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Gordon Smith (R-OR). The bill would make up to $12,000 in college tuition costs tax deductible for families earning less than $105,000 a year and would allow those who are repaying student loans to take a tax credit of up to $1,500 to help offset student loan interest payments.
4. Teacher Shortage: Schumer has reached out to the Bush Administration in an effort to push several initiatives to attract young professionals to teaching. Schumer will introduce bills to increase funding for INSPIRE scholarships, create signing bonuses to attract new teachers to math and science, extend the maximum amount of loan forgiveness from $5,000 to $17,750 and provide matching grants to local education agencies that suffer from a high concentration of uncertified teachers.
5. Energy: Schumer will introduce legislation with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to create a Presidential Energy Commission to study short- and long-term responses to current shortages and price spikes in the oil, natural gas and electricity markets. The commission would analyze current and future energy supply and demand issues, examine ways in which the US can ensure stability in electricity markets, study state deregulation efforts, craft ways to help the US become less dependent on foreign oil, and investigate alternative energy supplies and the causes for energy supply disruptions.
6. Cybercrime: Schumer and Senator John Kyl (R-AZ) will introduce legislation to combat computer hacking and make it easier to investigate computer crimes. Their bill would give law enforcement nationwide trap and trace authority, allowing authorities to issue a single order to completely trace an online communication from start to finish instead of seeking separate orders for each state an online communication travels through. The Schumer-Kyl bill will likely be attached to a larger cybercrime package that Schumer is sponsoring with Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

In addition to these initiatives, Schumer identified several other legislative proposals that he would fight for in the 107^th Congress. Among them:

1. Gun Control: Schumer will push a pair of initiatives to keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals. The ENFORCE Act would improve the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' (ATF) ability to go after illegal gun dealers, research new gun safety technology and expand Project Exile, the enforcement program supported by the National Rifle Association. The Targeted Gun Dealer Enforcement Act would crack down on high- crime firearms dealers.
2. Fuel Efficiency: Schumer will introduce legislation to boost the fuel efficiency standards for SUVs and minivans by changing their classification from light truck to car. The reclassification could save 120 million barrels of oil each year and reduce gasoline costs for SUV drivers by hundreds of dollars.
3. E-Mail Privacy: Schumer will reintroduce the Notice of Electronic Monitoring Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced last year with Reps. Charles Canady (R-FL) and Bob Barr (R-GA) that requires employers to notify workers if they are monitoring their electronic communications.
4. Money Laundering: Schumer will introduce legislation to strengthen domestic anti-money laundering regulations and prohibit offshore banks with little or no regulatory requirements from participating in the US financial system.
5. Predatory Lending: Schumer will reintroduce the Predatory Lending Deterrence Act, legislation to crack down on predatory lending practices brought about by the burgeoning subprime lending market. The bill would expand and strengthen the Truth in Lending Act by creating a new definition for high cost loans and imposing strict limits on what lenders can offer for residential mortgages and high cost loans.
6. Acid Rain: Schumer will be introducing legislation to address acid rain problems in the Adirondacks and across the country and will be working with a broad coalition of Senators on a wide range of clean air issues.
7. LIHEAP: Schumer will push to increase federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in the FY 2002 budget from $1.4 billion to $2 billion to ensure that states have enough money to help low-income families and seniors pay their heating bills.