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July 6, 2020
To the Good People of New York’s 9th Congressional District,
Thank you for all you are all doing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus and to ensure the good health of our community.
I'm happy to announce that my Brooklyn office is reopening this week, but with several precautions in order to limit potential COVID-19 exposure to constituents or staff.
- Visitors must make appointments prior to arriving at the office
- You can call (718) 287-1142 during office hours to make an appointment
- Masks or a face covering must be worn at all times
- Social distancing measures will be in effect
- These precautions exist to keep us all safe - let’s stop the spread together
Additionally, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application period has recently been extended. If you are a business owner, the program provides relief for you to pay your employees, and cover some non-payroll expenses as well.
The new deadline to apply for a PPP loan is August 8, 2020, and the application form can be found here. Please do not hesitate to contact my office with any questions you may have regarding the program.
Regards,
Yvette D. Clarke
Member of Congress
LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS:
Floor Speech:
I spoke on the House Floor to encourage my colleagues to pass the HEROES Act to support and renew communities across the nation in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Watch here. While this legislation doesn't provide all that I believe is required to truly heal our nation, we must pass this bill to protect our people, stabilize our economy and provide relief to those who are suffering --There is no healthy economy without a healthy people.
Introduced Legislation:
Monday, June 29, 2020
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act
- Last Monday, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which passed the House. The bill combats inequity in health coverage faced by communities of color, expanding more affordable coverage to vulnerable populations and fighting the maternal mortality epidemic by requiring states to extend Medicaid or CHIP coverage to new mothers for a full year postpartum. View my full statement here.
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
H.R. 2: Moving Forward Act
- Last week, the House also passed the Moving Forward Act, a $1.3 trillion dollar infrastructure package that will revitalize and transform our community. I was able to include in the package three of my own bills, as well as an amendment, that would improve air quality in the district, aid in the fight against the climate crisis, and expand broadband internet access. View my full statement here.
House Democrats endorsed the following bills I introduced that are now a part of H.R. 2:
- The FREEZER Trucks Act of 2019 (H.R.5256) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from refrigerated trucks by establishing a pilot program to electrify refrigeration units on trucks that transport temperature-sensitive goods, and to support the construction of zero-emission charging infrastructure.
- The Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2020 (H.R.5751) to expand access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in urban areas, particularly within low-income communities and communities of color, and to direct the Department of Energy to prioritize clean transportation needs and air quality improvement in underserved and disadvantaged communities.
- The Digital Equity Act of 2019 (H.R.4486) to establish a State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program to make distributions to states based on their populations, demographics, and availability and adoption of broadband. The bill also establishes the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program for supporting efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate adoption of broadband.
- The Clarke Broadband Access Amendment to require the Comptroller General of the US Government to conduct an analysis of high-speed internet connectivity in federally-assisted housing, and to require HUD to conduct a masterplan for achieving the necessary retrofitting across the federal housing stock to support broadband service.
Committee on Energy & Commerce:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Last week, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis unveiled a comprehensive congressional climate action plan, highlighting several of my own bills as part of the challenge in tackling the progression of the climate crisis. View my full statement here.
Those bills include:
- The FEMA Climate Change Preparedness Act would require FEMA to revise its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, and future plans, to ensure that the plan and addresses the implications of climate change on homeland security and near- and long-term national disaster risk.
- The BREATHE Act would require air pollutants created by fossil fuel production to be regulated as a major source of toxic air pollutants.
- The Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate current federal research and to identify research and development gaps regarding the consequences of climate change.
- The FREEZER Trucks Act
- The Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act
These wide-reaching proposals will put the country on a path to net-zero carbon pollution by 2050, if not earlier. It will power economic recovery through clean energy investment and family-sustaining jobs and address the legacy of environmental injustice harming America’s low-income communities and communities of color.
IN THE DISTRICT:
I am proud to have celebrated the accomplishments of the Pakistani community in NY-09 alongside the Pakistani-American Association of New York (PAANY) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. I’m beyond grateful for PAANY’s efforts in serving thousands of meals to folks in the community as we tackle this pandemic head-on.
CONSTITUENT CORNER:
I am pleased to announce the newest addition to our weekly newsletter - “Constituent’s Corner!” The section of the newsletter will provide the ability to nominate, recognize and commemorate the selfless service of heroes without capes here in our hometown of the 9th District Brooklyn constituents. The Constituent’s Corner will not be limited to only essential workers; it will be open to any person who has contributed to control the spread of the virus, demonstrated by both their diligent and exceptional work in the community. This is our opportunity to congratulate every staff member e.g. janitors, doctors, food service workers, nurses, floor workers, surgeons and countless others who through the many prospective weeks to come will be spotlighted in our newsletter’s Constituent Corner section.
Our inaugural honorees are the dedicated staff at SUNY Downstate hospital.
The district owes them a great deal of gratitude for their courageous and wonderful work that has been done to contain the pandemic since the hospital’s original March 28th designation by Governor Cuomo incepting it to be the first Brooklyn COVID-19 only facility and for the outstanding service that continues up to today.
During this pandemic, SUNY Downstate was deemed the hardest hit with COVID-19 Patients. The essential workers of SUNY Downstate Brooklyn have endured some of the worst emergency room situations New York has seen in years since the 1918 Spanish Flu. Day by day these individuals gave it their all to ensure the health and welfare of the community were met. Many lost their lives assisting patients.
To the many workers at SUNY Downstate doing the critical work of helping COVID-19 patients, we salute you, and are indebted to you for your continued sacrifice.
If you know someone who deserves to be nominated, submit answers to the following questions to [email protected]
- Who would you like to nominate?
- What is their position?
- What type of essential worker? This includes any person such as, but is certainly not limited to: Medical, Hospital custodian/sanitation, Nursing, NS81, Service aide, Respiratory therapy, Housekeeper, Environmental services, Security screening, PICU, Transporter, CCU, Storeroom helper, Laundry worker, Deli worker, Uber/Lyft driver or delivery person, Grocery store worker, Food or restaurant worker, etc.
- How was this person influential in your life during our COVID-19 Pandemic?
COMMITTEE SCHEDULE:
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Addressing the Urgent Needs of Our Tribal Communities
- The full committee hearing will discuss the needs of Native American communities across the country and feature testimony regarding broadband, water, and power access, in addition to healthcare disparities.
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Consumers Beware: Increased Risks During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce hearing will discuss the various ways the COVID-19 pandemic poses threats to American consumers.
Committee on Homeland Security
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Examining the National Response to the Worsening Coronavirus Pandemic
- The full committee hearing will discuss the national response to the coronavirus pandemic, featuring testimony from local leaders and health officials.
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Pandemic Response: Confronting the Unequal Impacts of COVID-19
- The Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness hearing will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted communities unequally, and will feature testimony from public health experts.
We marked the 56th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act last week, but the mass demonstrations across the week have shown us that the work is not yet finished. We have a long way to go to ensuring that equal justice and equal opportunity is a reality.
I've been at the forefront of the fight to ensuring that facial recognition technology can't be used against Black and Brown communities to further destabilize them. Along with my colleagues in the House, I introduced legislation to ban the federal government's use of facial recognition and other biometric technology.
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