August 20, 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

Excelsior Pass Plus App

New York's recently launched Excelsior Pass Plus app contains a secure, digital record of your COVID-19 vaccination history. With information such as vaccine type, site, and date of vaccination, the app provides New Yorkers with the an easy to use means of accessing their records whenever needed. Learn more about the Excelsior Pass Plus and Excelsior Pass here.

An Update on Caribbean Vaccine Doses

I know many of you with families living in the Caribbean are concerned with their access to the critical vaccinations necessary to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus. I am, too. Fortunately, several Caribbean nations recently received transformative vaccine shipments which will provide invaluable aid to the people of these nations as we all overcome this pandemic. The shipments are as follows:

• Jamaica; 208,160 doses of Pfizer
• St. Lucia; 52,650 doses of Pfizer
• Antigua; 17,550 doses of Pfizer
• The Bahamas; 397,000 doses of Pfizer
• Barbados; 70,200 doses of Pfizer
• St. Kitts and Nevis; 11,700 doses of Pfizer
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines; 35,100 doses of Pfizer
• Trinidad and Tobago; 305,370 doses of Pfizer

TPS Extensions

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas recently announced the extensions of the registration periods from 180 days to 18 months for initial (new) applicants under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti, Venezuela, Syria, and Burma.

• The 18-month designation of Haiti for TPS is effective on August 3, 2021 and will remain in effect for 18 months, through February 3, 2023. The registration period for eligible individuals to submit TPS applications begins August 3, 2021, and will remain in effect through February 3.
• The 18-month registration period for initial applications under the TPS designation for Venezuela now runs through Sept. 9, 2022.
• The 18-month registration period for initial applications under the re-designation of Syria for TPS now runs through Sept. 30, 2022.
• The 18-month registration period for initial applications under the TPS designation for Burma (Myanmar) now runs through Nov. 25, 2022.

New York's Emergency Rental Assistance Program
New York State's Emergency Rental Assistance Program is now open to applicants. For low and moderate-income households facing instability with their housing, this program will provide invaluable aid in the form of rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. For more information, and to apply, click here. 

Emergency Broadband Benefit Issues
It has come to my attention that many of you are having difficulty applying the EBB credit to your current plans. While I am working to address it, I want you to be informed that as of right now this credit is temporary and will be utilized for as long as there remains funding. It is important that you understand that by changing your plan for the purposes of receiving this credit, you are at risk of being stuck with the new plan and you may not be able to receive the older plan you were on previously. It is important that you fully discuss your options with your Internet service provider before you make any changes. Additionally, as it currently stands, the legislation allows providers to apply the credit to any plan they had at the time of its passage. It is important to me that you know I am working diligently with my colleagues in congress to make this credit permanent and applicable to all plans going forward. My office is currently exploring all options to make this credit more inclusive and applicable to all plans. Please make sure to follow the newest editions of my newsletter and my social media pages for the latest on this issue.

Getting Vaccinated

To overcome the COVID-19 virus once and for all, it will take as many of us as possible to do our part and get vaccinated. If you haven’t received your COVID-19 vaccine but are interested in doing so, and New Yorkers ages 12 years and older can receive their vaccine at select sites across our city found here. If you’d like to make an appointment to get vaccinated, please click here to find a location that best suits you. For New Yorkers who are ages 75 and older, an in-home vaccination appointment can be made here, or by calling 1-877-VAX-4-NYC. We are so close to the finish line; let’s cross it together!

Co-Sponsored Legislation: This week, I lent my support to the following bill:

• H.R. 4
  Our democracy and the sacred right to vote are under assault on both the local, state, and federal level. In this year alone, 18 states have enacted at least 30 restrictive voting laws, constituting one of the most coordinated assaults on our democracy in a generation. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act seeks to protect vulnerable populations of the electorate from discrimination by restoring key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) that were gutted by the Supreme Court in consequential cases such as Shelby County v. Holder and, most recently, Brnovich v. DNC. I, along with my Democratic colleagues, will not falter in the fight to ensure that every eligible citizen can and is able to access the polls. In this crucial moment, Congress must be on the right side of history and I am proud to see Speaker Pelosi signal her intentions to bring this transformative legislation to the floor for a vote.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti, especially in the Department of Nippes and the nearby cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie, as well as any others in surrounding countries affected by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck near the town of Petit Trou de Nippes early this morning. This earthquake could not have come at a worse time for the people of Haiti; the nation is in the throes of a political crisis, the effects of the compounding COVID-19 pandemic, and is still recovering from the disastrous earthquake that hit the island’s southern peninsula more than a decade ago. We remain committed to championing adequate aid to the region, supporting bilateral relations and policies that will ensure Haiti’s full economic and political recovery, and the emergence of a durable, Haitian-led democracy.

• NYTimes: How New Yorkers Can Help Haiti After the Earthquake
  
• BKReader: As Haiti Battles Aftermath of Earthquake, BK Community Leaders Organize Relief Efforts
  

Though the events in Afghanistan of recent days are tragic and heartbreaking, we cannot allow our grief to overwhelm our mission; helping the Afghan people find a better tomorrow. I put together a Twitter thread with invaluable resources for anyone eager to help those within Afghanistan and their families abroad. I implore you read the full thread here.

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