September 3, 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.

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. 

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:

• The START Act builds off the efforts made during the Obama Administration’s Smart Cities Challenge by tasking the Department of Transportation and other federal agencies with developing and implementing an updated Smart Cities Challenge that will award major grants on an annual basis to communities across the nation to implement smart transportation proposals and demonstrate how advanced technologies can be integrated into city planning and utilized to mitigate transportation challenges related to safety, mobility, and climate change. Grants more limited in size will also be provided to cities and communities for the purpose of conducting research and planning around how they might benefit from smart transportation technologies. More, the START Act will also establish a federal Smart Community Resource Center to serve as a database and clearinghouse on Smart City transportation efforts, which will provide best practices for communities of various sizes and locations and share information on guides and resources that are readily available to the public. 

Let me be very clear; this law is an all-out assault on reproductive health and rights in America and will have devastating and immediate consequences in Texas. It is wrong. Women have the right to make their own decisions about their bodies. This law eliminates access to legal abortion after about six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant. Congress must act. We must proactively legislate reproductive justice and advance substantive policies that affirm a woman’s fundamental right to choose. I am proud to co-lead the Women’s Health Protection Act, which is comprehensive and necessary legislation that would codify a woman’s right to choose and ban the types of harmful state laws like the one in Texas that aim to eliminate reproductive justice. We have no choice but to use every tool at our disposal to protect women, to protect a woman’s right to choose, and to project bodily autonomy for all people — regardless of gender identity, income, or race. The time to act is now. Because women cannot wait.

Clarke Issues Statement On The Introduction Of The START Act

Equitable, efficient, and sustainable public transportation is a modern function of any 21st century city. Through Smart City technologies, transformative, necessary change is possible in both the civil infrastructure and transportation networks our communities rely upon. My legislation will provide unprecedented funding and assistance to diverse, underprivileged communities which will translate into lives saved, fewer crime incidents, shorter commutes, a reduced health burden, and carbon emissions averted. More, the START Act will ensure the federal government’s role in supporting our Smart City efforts as we ready for the challenges of the coming decades.

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