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August 27, 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.
SBA Moratorium on Bona Fide Place of Business Requirements for the 8(a) Business Development Program
On account of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Small Business Association recently announced a moratorium on its 8(a) Business Development Program's requirement that participants must "establish a bona fide place of business in a specific geographic area in order to be awarded any construction contract through" the program. The SBA's moratorium will go a long way in helping the small business owners of Brooklyn find their footing throughout the duration of the pandemic. If you are a participant in the 8(a) program or would like to learn more, click 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!
Sponsored Legislation: This week, I introduced the following bill to the House of Representatives:
- H.R. 5056:
The MVPD Tax Credit Act would directly address racial disparities in the Pay T.V. or Subscription-based Television market by providing financial incentives to encourage Qualified Distributors to launch Qualified Independent Programmers, including but not limited to Rural and Minority and Women-Owned Programmers. This comprehensive legislation will usher in a new age of competition, creativity, and innovation in the Pay-TV industry while expanding entrepreneurial opportunities and promoting diversity of viewpoints and programming. In turn, consumers will receive increased access to cable networks and, therefore, more culturally inclusive, and diverse media content.
Co-Sponsored Legislation: This week, I lent my support to the following bill:
- H.R. 5103:
This bill, the Quality Higher Education Act, would enhance the accreditation system for higher education institutions to ensure that graduates receive meaningful degrees and proper training for workplace success. Specifically, the legislation would require accreditors to set rigorous standards and performance benchmarks in order to assess whether colleges are serving students, specifically minorities and those from low-income families, well. Despite the federal government spending $130 billion each year on federal aid, of the 13 million students that receive financial aid, only 58% of students manage to complete their degree within six years. Deciding which college to attend or whether to attend college in the first place are difficult decisions that should not be further complicated by worrying if a school is accredited. H.R. 5103 would put our students on the right path towards successful careers.
Clarke Issues Statement On The Enactment Of The Budget Resolution
I am so pleased to see the House Democratic Caucus come to a consensus on the need to pass the Build Back Better budget resolution without further delay. This transformative budget resolution is a win for the American people, putting us on the path toward enacting popular and urgent policy change for our communities, including universal child care, paid leave, aggressive climate action, Medicare expansion, affordable housing, and a roadmap to citizenship. My position remains unchanged: we will work to first pass the Build Back Better reconciliation bill so we can deliver this once-in-a-generation, popular, and urgently needed investments to poor and working families, and then pass the infrastructure bill to invest in our roads, bridges, and waterways. Let me be very clear, these two are integrally tied together, and I will only vote for the infrastructure bill after passing the reconciliation bill. I remain united with Congressional Leadership and President Biden in our mission to enact the entire Build Back Better agenda that voters put us in the majority to accomplish — and every elected Democrat should do the same. Congress must now move urgently to send both pieces of this package to the President’s desk for his signature so we can transform people’s lives and livelihoods. Full stop.
Clarke Issues Statement On Her Vote For The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act
I was so proud to vote in favor of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act. This transformative legislation preserves the most sacred and fundamental rights we enjoy as Americans and truly embodies the life and legacy of my dear friend and colleague, the late Honorable Congressman John R. Lewis.
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This week, I spoke on one of the most significant sources of pollution in New York and in America; peaker plants. As a specific subset of power plants, peaker plants consume fossil fuels and emit their toxic byproduct into our environment at obscene levels. I recently introduced legislation, H.R. 3139; The PEAKER Act, to require the Secretary of Energy to submit to Congress an annual report on peaker plants in the United States and to provide financial incentives for replacing peaker plants with technology that receives, stores, and delivers energy generated by renewable energy resources. To overcome the existential danger posed by climate change, we cannot afford to leave any stone unturned. Through concentrated efforts like the PEAKER Act, we will root climate change out at the source.
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