May 23, 2020

To the Good People of Central and South Brooklyn,

Thank you for keeping up the good fight against this pandemic. We all know that there’s nothing New Yorkers can’t handle. I can’t thank you all enough for the sacrifices you’ve made to practice social distancing to keep our community safe.

The month of May marks Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I am very proud to represent large Jewish and AAPI populations in NY-09 and I am grateful for the rich culture and vast contributions these communities bring to my district.

I would also like to say Eid Muburak to those celebrating! May the blessing of Allah stay with you through all of your days.

This week my offices remain teleworking. If you need my team’s help, you can contact us Tuesday-Friday this week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (718) 287-1142, as we will be closed for Memorial Day. Team Clarke is always here for you!

In good health,

Yvette D. Clarke

Member of Congress

Legislative Updates:

• House Democrats Pass Heroes Act to Protect Lives and Livelihoods
• Every day, we see the need for further action to combat the coronavirus crisis.  Months into the pandemic, the numbers are devastating:
• more than 92,000 dead;
• more than 1.5 million confirmed cases;
• more than 36 million initial unemployment claims in the past two months, with the April jobs report showing the highest national unemployment rate since the Great Depression.
• This dire situation shows the urgent need for a legislative package that is equal to the crisis gripping our nation.  That is why, last week, the House passed The Heroes Act: urgently-needed legislation to protect the lives and livelihoods of the American people and the life of our democracy – responding to the pandemic and the economic catastrophe that has followed.
• The Heroes Act is based on our three pillars:
  • Small businesses’ economic security: strengthening the Payroll Protection Program to ensure that it reaches underserved communities, nonprofits of all sizes and types and responds flexibly to small businesses by providing $10 billion for Covid-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
  • Health security: with COBRA subsidies and a special enrollment period in the ACA exchanges for those without insurance.
  • Workplace security: requiring OSHA to ensure that all workplaces develop science-based infection control plans and preventing employers from retaliating against workers who report problems.
  • Housing security: with $175 billion in new support to assist renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments and other housing-related costs.
  • Food security: with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs that help families put food on the table.  
  • Security of our democracy: with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census and preserve the Postal Service. 
• Opening the economy with a science-based path of testing, tracing, treatment and social distancing: our legislation commits another $75 billion for the testing, tracing and treatment we need and helps ensure that every American can access free coronavirus treatment.
• Providing strong support for our heroes with nearly $1 trillion for state, local, territorial and tribal governments on the frontlines who desperately need funds to pay the health care workers, police, fire, transportation, EMS, teachers and other vital workers who keep us safe and are in danger of losing their jobs.  The Heroes Act will also establish a $200 billion Heroes’ fund to ensure that essential workers receive hazard pay.  
• Putting money in the pockets of workers with a second round of direct payments to families up to $6,000 per household, new payroll protection measures to keep 60 million workers connected with their jobs and extending weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January.  We are also putting money in workers’ pockets by supporting:​
• The American people overwhelmingly support the strong, urgent relief action included in The Heroes Act.  According to new polling, by a strong 3-1 margin, voters say that funding for education, health care and other public support is more important than keeping down spending and the debt.  
• Meanwhile, 84 percent approve of The Heroes Act’s $1 trillion in support for state, local, tribal and territorial governments, while just as many fully reject McConnell’s cruel and senseless call for the states to go bankrupt.
•  All of these elements have been supported in the four previous covid-19 bills – all of which were bipartisan.  
• In the CARES 1 bill and in the interim Paycheck Protection Program bill, Leader McConnell developed and presented the Senate bills, which we then negotiated and passed.  
• Now the House Democrats have presented our proposal to lead to negotiation.
• We urge the President and Leader McConnell to join us in supporting the evidence-based solutions in The Heroes Act, which reflect the needs of the American people and allocate the resources to save lives and grow the economy.  
• Time is of the essence, and Republicans must come to the table to help save lives and livelihoods now.

NYC & NYS Updates:

• The NYS Department of Labor launched a new streamlined application for New Yorkers to apply for pandemic unemployment assistance without having to first apply for unemployment insurance.
• For additional info: https://www.labor.ny.gov/ui/pdfs/pua-factsheet.pdf
• NYC is assisting New Yorkers by delivering meals to those who cannot access food themselves:. Visit here: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/contact/services/COVID-19FoodAssistance.shtml or call 311.
• The NYC COVID-19 Engagement Portal is a confidential new way to self-report coronavirus information to help stop the spread and get the facts. Sign up at https://cv19engagementportal.cityofnewyork.us/#/display/5e63c34ff75d7a02111fcb6c.
• In order to get additional people out of jail during the COVID crisis and in response to the state bail law which outlines the use of electronic monitoring as one of the non-monetary release conditions that may be used to ensure return to Court, NYC is beginning an electronic monitoring program Monday for the pre-trial population.
  • People's locations will be tracked only when there is notice that they have violated the conditions of the monitor, and data will ultimately be anonymized with data privacy protections put in place.  
• This was launched earlier this week and will be monitored by the Sheriff, and working to expand to 150 defendants by summer.
• Per bail statute, electronic monitors can only be used for felony charges, or a misdemeanor charge and a conviction within the past 5 years on a felony - the intention is to target people who otherwise would be in jail and allow them to remain in the community.  
• During the COVID crisis, the mandate for electronic monitoring will be home detention, with time allowed for exercise and purchase of supplies and allowance for approved activities such as access to health care or employment. 
• The monitors will be available at both arraignment and for people currently at Rikers, and the DA's and defenders will be part of the process for determination of use.
• Additionally, we are working on an electronic monitoring program for city-sentenced individuals, to allow a subsection of people who otherwise would be in jail to be released safely to the community. This program would be overseen by the Department of Probation and is also set to launch shortly, with more details to follow.
• For all programs, re-entry, case management and other supportive services will be made available. 
• NYC will produce up to 50,000 tests a week, right here in New York City. This will help us finally begin to expand testing to communities that need it most. EDC is building new supply chain and pulling pieces from all over city:
• Academic & commercial labs –producing the liquid solution
• Local manufacturers and 3-D printers making testing swabs and tubes
• If you know an academic or research lab, manufacturer, pharmaceutical, research university, or chemical company who can help -- please have them email [email protected]. 

• Job & Volunteer Opportunities:
  • Job Opportunities
  • Individual Career Advisement
  • Resume & Interview Preparation
  • Training
• Recruiting Drivers: Please spread the word! We are recruiting TLC-licensed drivers through DeliveryTLC to help with work related to COVID-19, such as delivering food to older adults. This work will be paid $15/hour plus reimbursement for gas and tolls. Drivers will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. The initial need for drivers will be small, but we expect it to increase as we expand our programs.
• Information about space: We are still identifying and standing up new hospital capacity. We are particularly interested in private spaces that may not be yet on our radar. For those you know who have space they want to offer, please have them fill out this space survey here: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/share-your-space-survey.page.
• The city's Workforce1 Career Center launched a Virtual Center (or call 718-960-2458) to help New Yorkers prepare for, and connect to, jobs across New York City's five boroughs and in every sector of the economy. The in-person Workforce Career Centers in the Bronx (Fordham Rd), West Farms, and Hunts Point are currently closed. Through the Virtual Workforce1 Career Center system, candidates can be connected via web or phone to one-on-one help from professionals who can help them with:
• Current employment opportunities include Stop & Shop, Fresh Direct & PBM Guardian Industry Services.
• Hundreds of retired or non practicing healthcare professionals have signed up to the City’s medical reserve! Anyone interested can volunteering by signing up at nyc.gov/helpnownyc.

IRS Updates:

• The IRS updated their “Get My Payment” FAQ document to address certain challenges with the EIP impacting your constituents. 
• Tips below:
• When you filed your tax return, if you chose a refund settlement product for direct deposit purposes, you may have received a prepaid debit card. In some cases, your Economic Impact Payment may have been directed to the bank account associated with the refund settlement product or prepaid debit card.
• If the refund settlement product or the associated account is closed or no longer active, the bank is required to reject the deposit and return it to the IRS. The “Get My Payment” app will be updated once the returned payment to the IRS is processed. Timing of this process depends on several variables, including when and how the payments are rejected and returned to the IRS, when “Get My Payment” updates, and when taxpayers check the tool.
• Once the returned payment is processed by the IRS, the payment will automatically be mailed to the address on the 2019 or 2018 tax return, or the address on file with the U.S. Postal Service – whichever is more current, and the status in Get My Payment will update accordingly.
• The IRS also noted that there was a reporting error that started showing up in recent days on Get My Update, which inaccurately indicated rejected payments were being sent back to the same taxpayer account a second time. They are actually being mailed to the taxpayers.
• View the full FAQ sheet here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment-frequently-asked-questions#bank

State Dept. Updates: