September 10, 2021

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

I hope you are in good health and spirits and that this edition of the Yvette Gazette finds you well. Before we take a look at all the information this newsletter holds, I would like to take a moment to touch on something close to all our hearts and looming large on all our minds; the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. 

I know for many of you, that fateful day seems to be almost a lifetime ago. I know for many others, it seems as though it was just yesterday. The terror of September 11th left an imprint on our city, our country, and ourselves that can never be erased. Though any of us would give all we have if only it never happened, all we can do moving forward with our recovery is to remember it did happen. And to remember the remarkable strength and genuine goodness we have seen its wake. For two decades, neighbors have been there for neighbors, communities have come together, and our city has refused to give up. Your unrelenting resiliency in the face of unspeakable tragedy never fails to serve as a source of strength for myself. For that, you have my eternal gratefulness. Thank you for reading, and I hope this newsletter serves you well. May tomorrow bring you no difficulties.

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 Flood Relief Assistance

If your home or business was affected by the recent flooding that struck our city, please feel free to attend this Emergency Flood Relief Assistance event, where you can learn how to apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance, file a claim with the Office of the NYC Comptroller, and reach many more resources which could prove invaluable moving forward.

NHS's Free Webinar On Home Insurance

NHS Brooklyn will be hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, September 15th from 3:00PM to 4:30PM where experts will help attendees understand some of the nuance and complications behind home insurance. From flooding to fires, this webinar will provide the necessary details to homeowners eager to learn more about what exactly they receive from their home insurance. To register, please click here.

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.

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!

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

• H.R. 5165:
  This bill, the Improving Medicare Coverage Act, would lower the Medicare eligibility age to 60. This amendment would expand healthcare coverage to over 23 million citizens and is supported by President Biden and more than 70% of the House Democratic Caucus. Health Care is basic human right and this comprehensive legislation will provide not only life-changing, but lifesaving coverage to ensure that Americans get the care they deserve.
• H.R. 5186:
  H.R. 5186, the CISA Leadership Act, would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a five-year term of appointment for the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). At a time where our nation is facing an onslaught of cyber and ransomware attacks, the director of the top civilian cybersecurity agency should not be susceptible to political winds and must remain stable and focused on their crucial mission. Term limits will improve communication and synergies throughout the Department of Homeland Security and provide a higher degree of predictability regarding vacancies. I am proud to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to strengthen our nation’s arsenal of cyber security defense mechanisms.

For many, MVPDs and vMVPDs are a primary means of engaging in the public conversation and hearing the perspectives which shape their own ideas and attitudes. While this current system excels in reaching populations across the country, it dangerously fails in its neglection of voices offering divergent, independent perspectives from those typically espoused on these platforms. Our diverse, rural, and underprivileged populations are consistently deprived any opportunity to share their unique viewpoints on the biggest stages on account of the BigTech and corporate interests who consistently refuse them a seat at the table. No entity should possess a stranglehold on our societal messaging. Though empowering America’s unheard voices is no small task, the MVPD Tax Credit Act is an important step towards platforming these populations which are so often marginalized.

Clarke, Cárdenas, And Raskin Released The Following Statement Regarding Their Letter With 28 House Democrats To House And Senate Leadership To Include Funding For Safety-net Hospitals And Essential Healthcare Providers In The Budget Reconciliation Package

Safety-net hospitals and essential health care facilities are often the sole providers of care in low-income, uninsured, underinsured, and publicly insured communities as well as in communities of color. Unfortunately, many of these providers suffer from chronic underpayment and disinvestment. This exacerbates already severe sustainability challenges, crumbling infrastructure, and declining services in the communities that need them the most. Addressing these needs requires making funding available to develop a modernized infrastructure designed to respond to current and future public health emergencies. As a matter of health care equity, our responsibility is to ensure that adequate funding is made available in this legislation. Therefore, we are urging leadership of both chambers to ensure critical funding for our nation’s safety-net and essential health care provider infrastructure is included in the budget reconciliation package. Without adequate federal funding, these safety-net and essential providers will continue to suffer from structural inequities that have perpetuated a pattern of disinvestment and neglect in many marginalized communities.

My colleagues Representatives Jeffries and Velázquez and I will be hosting an in-person job fair on Friday, September 17th from 10:00AM to 3:00PM for the people of Brooklyn. This event will serve as an invaluable opportunity for attendees to gain experience in the interviewing process, learn more about careers they may not have considered previously, or even find their new career. For anyone interested in this job fair, please feel free to attend. Remember; don't forget your resume, and we'll see you there!

• Roll Call: Congress seeks to compel infrastructure operators to report cyberattacks
  
• The Hill: Immigrants stepped up during the pandemic — we must do the same for them
  

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