In 1999, Schneider-Ammann was elected to the Swiss National Council, and is a member of the Free Democratic Party. From 1999, Schneider-Ammann chaired the corporate union Swissmem. Schneider-Ammann was elected to the National Council in 1999, and re-elected in 2003 and 2007. In the context of the 2008 financial crisis, Schneider-Ammann took a critical stance on bonuses awarded to the finance industry. In 2008, Schneider-Ammann's company moved substantial funds to a tax haven in Jersey. On 22 September 2010, Schneider-Ammann was elected to the Swiss Federal Council, as the successor to Hans-Rudolf Merz. Schneider-Ammann was the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research - the Swiss commerce minister (formerly the Federal Department of Economic Affairs) - taking office on 1 November 2010.