U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has been waiting, arguably, his entire professional life for today. The Brooklyn Democrat is now the majority leader of the closely divided U.S. Senate, split 50-50 with Republicans and the new vice president, Kamala Harris, acting as the tie-breaking vote. 

Schumer's rise coincides with his home state is dire need of billions of dollars in relief from Congress in the coming weeks, or spending reductions and tax increases are likely. 

This moment, say New York Democrats, is what the master of the Sunday press conference has been ready for.

"He's famous for going to each of the 62 counties each year, he's famous for riding his bike -- with a helmet of course -- around the five boroughs and now New York he'll be able to bring home the bacon for New York," said Emily Giske, a vice-chair of the state Democratic Committee. 

There is a lot of bacon that needs to come home for New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week laid out a budget plan that could lead to tax increases for people who earn more than $5 million and reduced spending on schools if $15 billion in aid is not sent to New York by the end of March.

The job of majority leader in the Senate was molded by figures like Lyndon Johnson, exercising raw power over a chamber with arcane rules and steeped in tradition. 

Is Schumer up to that task considering the Senate is going to be narrowly divided at this point?

"No one is better at legislating than Chuck," Giske said. "When he was running for the Senate, he said he wanted to be one of the titans of the Senate -- like Jacob Javits or Bobby Kennedy. "Now he gets that opportunity. Things like infrastructure, the equality act, immigration, all of those things that are important for New York he gets to do."

Schumer was first elected to the Senate in 1998, toppling Republican Sen. Al D'Amato. He previously served in the House as well as the state Assembly -- making him more than familiar with the inner workings of Albany. 

But Schumer is leading a Senate with a lot on its plate. In addition to President Joe Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package, the chamber must still deal with the matter of impeaching former President Donald Trump. 

"Both Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell want to legislate," Giske said. "And (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi does as well. The impeachment is peoples business, but they also know it's important to get the economy going, to get COVID relief to the cities and states in our country. Chuck is also very conscience that people have been suffering and he, personally, will make sure that New York is taken care of."

On paper, the rise of Biden and Schumer alike bode well for the state getting the pandemic relief. But Cuomo went as far as threatening to sue the federal government if the money isn't approved by Congress. 

"Senator Schumer, not just a friend of New York -- a New Yorker," Cuomo said this week while unveiling his $193 billion spending plan. "Senator from New York and head of the Senate. Sometimes, the stars line up for change."