Senate General Chuck Schumer apologizes for using offensive language to describe children with intellectual disabilities

Responding to a question during a virtual podcast with Onnicha about what Congress is doing to combat the increased homelessness caused by the corona virus epidemic, the New York Democrats used the term to discuss the need for financial and mental assistance to provide affordable housing.

“When I was first a legislator, they wanted to create a church living space for underprivileged children,” he said Sunday, describing opposition to attempts to build homes for the homeless. “The whole neighborhood was against it. These were harmless children, they needed some help. We were done with it and it took a while.”

Schumacher’s spokesman CNN said in a statement that the New York Democrats were “really sorry” for using outdated and offensive language.

“For decades, Sen. Schumacher has been an ardent champion in providing full funding for enlightened policy and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” a spokesman said Wednesday. “He used the word inappropriate and outdated in his description of an AHRC-led support for building a group home in his Brooklyn district decades ago to provide housing and services for children with developmental disabilities.”