June 11, 2021

To the Good People of New York’s 9th Congressional District,

I hope this edition of the Yvette Gazette finds you well. Always remember, I cannot do it alone. Through the support of passionate individuals such as yourself, we bring tangible, meaningful change to our district. 

To reach out to my office, send us an email at clarke.house.gov/contact/email/. If you’d like to call, you can reach my D.C. office at 202-225-6231 or my Brooklyn office at 718-287-1142. 

Remember to encourage your neighbors to sign up for this newsletter at clarke.house.gov/contact/newsletter/. 

If you’d like daily updates on my work in Congress, visit my website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. I wish you well, and I look forward to my next opportunity to get in touch with you.

Regards,
Yvette D. Clarke
Member of Congress

Emergency Broadband Benefit

The FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit is a program designed to deliver disadvantaged families and households internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our modern society, access to quality internet service is essential in staying connected to healthcare services, job listings, school, and a multitude of other services. Learn if you are eligible for this program and how to apply here.

Letters from the IRS on Child Tax Credits

With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, The IRS recently began sending letters to families who may be eligible for monthly Child Tax Credit payments, beginning in July. These tax credits will provide a critical helping-hand for American families through our country's post-pandemic recovery. Stay on the lookout for your family's letter in the mail, and stay up-to-date with new information from the IRS on Child Tax Credits here.

Early Voting in NYC

CityTalk Panel with Members of the LGBTQ+ Community

Sponsored Legislation: This week, I introduced the following bill to the House of Representatives;

• H.R. 3756                                                                                                                  Climate change poses an existential and multi-faceted threat to our national and international security that requires a robust and carefully crafted government-wide response. My bill, the Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act strives to safeguard the American public and the broader international community by directing the Department of Homeland Security to conduct additional analysis and technological research to confront the adverse effects of climate change. H.R. 3756 would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish an annual report to Congress and the American people detailing the progress of research initiatives and climate change related programs. I am proud to champion one of the several bold steps Congress must take to both address and mitigate the climate crisis. Read my full statement on this bill later in this newsletter.

Co-Sponsored Legislation: This week, I lent my support and commitment to the following bills:

• H.R. 3755;
  The Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments in a case concerning a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks is alarming and threatens both the constitutional right to privacy and a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy. The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) would guarantee a woman’s right to access an abortion free from undue and medically unnecessary government restrictions and interference. Despite the resilience of the Court’s own precedent guaranteeing a constitutional right to an abortion first established in Roe v. Wade, the WHPA is a necessary and monumental piece of legislation that I am proud to support.
  
• H.R. 3780;
  My commitment to preserving our environment and confronting climate change is not confined to the boundaries of the Ninth Congressional District. H.R. 3780, America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, will protect more than 8 million acres of public land across Utah, designating the area as a federal wilderness. This designation permanently protects these lands from outside development and interference, ensuring that they stay remain in their natural state for generations of Americans to enjoy. Additionally, providing federal protection for these lands will help mitigate the climate crisis by ensuring that fossils fuel reserves in the region remain untapped.

Clarke issues statement on her new legislation, the Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act

Climate change is an international crisis, and it is our duty in Congress to take bold steps to address this crisis and safeguard our communities from future climate impacts. My legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to recognize the threat of climate change to our national security and general welfare, and to develop plans and tools to counter its impact across the globe. We must recognize the multi-faceted nature of the climate crisis, and that includes taking action to address its geopolitical implications. As a result of our changing climate, people are being forced to relocate from their homes and compete over an increasingly more limited amount of food and drinkable water, government structures are failing, and our adversaries are taking advantage of the power vacuums being created in the wake of this devastation. It is critical that we address the homeland security implications of climate change in greater depth to ensure a safe and prosperous world for all who call our planet home.

Clarke issues statement on her letter to Google

When critical opportunities are hidden from a person because of their name, or when an app designed to detect skin conditions is ineffective or does not adequately register with people of color, it creates a culture of marginalization and prioritization that disproportionately harms communities of color. It is Alphabet Inc’s responsibility to one, conduct this audit and two, implement measures to take accountability for the inherent biases within their technologies, and change this harmful culture in favor of an equitable and innovative system that does not marginalize communities of color. Unless mega-corporations like Alphabet, Inc., begin to address these glaring issues of bias, they will continue to entrench themselves into our society. Which is unacceptable, and they must act immediately.

• Bloomberg: U.S. Lawmakers Chide Colonial Pipeline for Weak Cybersecurity
• Jamaica Observer: Colonial hack exposed government’s light-touch oversight of pipeline cybersecurity US congresswoman, PAHO welcome US vaccine distribution initiative

Racial inequities in digital spaces are as harmful and hurtful as racial inequities everywhere else. These dangerous inequities are prolific on Google's platform, and so, I joined with my colleagues in the House and Senate to demand the tech giant address these glaring issues on its platform. Read the full letter here.

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