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March 4, 2022
To the Good People of New York’s 9th Congressional District,
I hope this edition of the Yvette Gazette finds you well, and I thank you for tuning in for the bi-weekly update on the work I champion in Congress. Always remember, I cannot do it alone. Your support is paramount in securing the investments and federal dollars we need to better our community. Together, with the on-going 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 Brooklyn office at 718-287-1142, or my D.C. office at 202-225-6231. 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
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High School Internship Opportunity with the Brooklyn DA
New Funding for Boots to Business Training
New Congressional Map
Following the 2020 Census, our new Congressional map for New York's 9th District has arrived. While most of you will see no change, many of my current constituents will be represented by a different congressmember come the 118th Congress in early 2023. Please review the new map below, and feel free to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns.
Free At-Home Test Kits
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Lower Internet Bills with the Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is an FCC benefit program that helps households afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more by providing a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet service for eligible households in Brooklyn. A household is eligible if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
- Participates in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
- Participates in free and reduced-price school lunch or breakfast program;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
- Participates in or meets the criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income program; or
- Income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines
To submit your application, please visit http://www.acpbenefit.org/. To learn more about the program, click here.
Lifeguards Wanted
.jpg "thumbnail_Lifeguard-Recruitment-2022-Flyer-v5_(1).jpg") Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Through USPS
Place an order with the USPS here for one set of 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Orders are limited to one per residential address, they include 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests, and they will ship for free starting at the end of January.
Military Service and Social Security
If you are an active or retired service member and would like to know more about the social security benefits you are entitled to, please click here for invaluable information from the Social Security Administration.
Vaccination Requirement for Non-U.S. Individual Travelers Entering the United States at Land Ports of Entry and Ferry Terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders
As of January 22, 2022, DHS will require non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide. These new restrictions will apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for both essential and non-essential reasons. They will not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals.
Student Loan Deferment Extension
The Biden Administration recently announced that its deferment period on student loan repayments has been extended to May 1st, 2022, meaning all federal student loans will not need to be repaid until that date. To hear more from the president on this, please click here.
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Casework
Cases Open: My staff is always hard at work assisting our constituents. As of today, we have a total of 542 active cases, which we diligently work towards resolving. These cases can involve anything from trouble securing hard-earned social security checks to difficulties attaining a passport. If you have an issue you are struggling with that you believe we can help resolve, please do not hesitate to reach out to my Brooklyn office.
Cases Closed: In recent weeks, my staff closed 85 cases from constituents. That means 85 separate issues our neighbors in the 9th District brought to my attention, were resolved.
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Sponsored Legislation; In the past two weeks, I introduced the following bill to the House of Representatives:
H.R. 6860 - The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act
The legislation is named in honor of Latonya Reeves, a woman who was forced to flee a Tennessee nursing home to move to Colorado so she could access the care she needed to live independently in her own home. For far too long, people with disabilities have had their homes and lives taken from them through forced institutionalization without any say of their own. No one should lose their freedom for the sake of care, regardless of their disability. This legislation is a necessary step towards ensuring people like Latonya Reeves are given the care they need in the communities they know, not the nursing homes they are forced to live in
Co-Sponsored Legislation; Over the past two weeks, I lent my support and commitment to the following bills:
H.R. 6736 - Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2022
Only weeks ago, tragedy struck the heart of the Bronx when a defective space heater led to a fire that killed 17 members of our New York family and seriously injured dozens more. This horrible incident, like so many others caused by space heaters every year, could have been prevented if proper safety standards had simply been put in place. Unfortunately, the current standards around space heaters are only voluntary guidelines that manufacturers can choose to ignore. This must be changed. Our Safer Heat Act will ensure that common-sense safety standards are a requirement, not a recommendation, so that we can keep our families safe and prevent these tragic fires from happening again.
H.R. 6766 - Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2022
This legislation, the Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act, would repeal the federal requirement that state Medicaid programs go after families and estates for repayment of Medicaid long-term care services. When current federal law requires that state Medicaid programs seek repayment of Medicaid long-term care benefits from the families of the deceased, I believe that a fundamental flaw exists that must be fixed. Too many families have faced the cruelty of the current policy following the death of a loved one, and that cannot continue.
H.R. 6825 - Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 2022
The Climate Adaptation Science Centers Act permanently authorizes the U.S. Geological Survey’s National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers, meaning the scientists most involved and connected to our communities will have the resources they need to bring about much-needed climate change in our homes and nation. When these critical centers become permanent, we will have gained another necessary resource in our fight against the climate crisis.
H.R. 6877 - Amir Locke End Deadly No-Knock Warrants Act
With many complicated crises intersecting in America today, we need to focus our efforts on the most effective and efficient solutions. The ACTION for National Service does just that; By addressing the student debt crisis through increasing the education participants receive for their service in national and community service opportunities, as well as creating a Civilian Climate Corps, this legislation would enhance access to these service opportunities, lower student debt, create a more engaged citizenry, and address national priorities in education, infrastructure, health care, disaster relief, and poverty.
H.R. 6938 - The Job Protection Act
As we continue to work to overcome climate change, we must ensure the underserved communities facing the worst of the climate crisis are not excluded from any solutions. This legislation enables disadvantaged individuals and families in communities around the country to be included in the ongoing electric vehicle transformation by helping public housing authorities and local governments invest in electric vehicles (EV), EV charging stations, community education and outreach, and other services and incentives to provide access to EVs for public housing residents.
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CLARKE, THOMPSON, AND TORRES RELEASE STATEMENT ON RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a brazen assault on democracy, not just in Ukraine, but democracies around the globe. This unprovoked attack will have repercussions beyond Ukraine and surrounding countries. Indeed, we have already seen Russia use cyberattacks against Ukraine that risk effects outside its borders. This is a time for Americans to be vigilant, particularly in the cyber domain. Threats in this domain are not new, but the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine may lead to more cyber attacks and more victims in America. We live in a free and open society, and that freedom can leave us vulnerable to these attacks from Russia and the criminal organizations it harbors. We urge all Americans to take prudent steps to protect themselves and their businesses online. CISA has published very helpful, easy and practical steps to help Americans protect themselves. We appreciate the work they have done to help maintain and protect our homeland security, and we urge Americans to take advantage of CISA’s information and resources at this critical time.
CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR BIDEN’S HISTORIC NOMINEE TO THE US SUPREME COURT
These are the moments that make history. President Biden’s nomination of DC Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the US Supreme Court, is not just timely and necessary, it is crucial to a healthy democracy. This historic nomination is a renewed promise of America in pursuit of a more just society and I am deeply grateful to be a witness to this change in the winds toward a more equitable future society. Judge Jackson is a shining example of what this nation can be when we come together, in spite of our differences, to create a country for the good and understanding of all its people. Judge Jackson is the “I Rise” and the “I am” unfolding on the world stage. What a time to be alive. The president’s decision represents the culmination of centuries of struggles and perseverance, and it is not lost on me that we are all truly blessed to bear witness to this moment in our American history. This momentous occasion also highlights Judge Jackson’s pedigree of legal excellence, her dedication, hard work, commitment and decades of outstanding service on behalf of the American people. Judge Jackson brings along a wealth of cultural human experiences that will fundamentally better the Supreme Court’s ability to fulfill its purpose: to uphold equal justice for all Americans, regardless of their race, sex, or background. Today, millions of young Black women and girls possess a new understanding of what is possible in this nation. And that reflects the transformative power of representation. This historic milestone and nominee deserves the total support of the US Senate. May she be protected and divinely guided in her work in the years to come for all Americans.
CLARKE’S STATEMENT ON HER LETTER CALLING ON NEW YORK STATE TO INCLUDE THE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN ITS EV INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT PLAN
The communities facing the greatest burdens from the climate crisis and environmental pollution must be prioritized and fully incorporated in our solutions to address these immense challenges, and this is particularly true as we work to build out a robust and modernized transportation sector that is powered by clean, renewable energy. As our New York State Department of Transportation moves ahead in leading this change, it is imperative they consider the needs of underserved and disadvantaged communities throughout the deployment of our state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and ensure they are provided the same opportunities for greener, more sustainable modes of transportation that these communities have been historically denied.
CONGRESSWOMAN CLARKE APPLAUDS ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW EFFORTS TO IMPROVE NEW YORK’S CYBERSECURITY
I am glad to see Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams are prioritizing addressing cyber threats by increasing investments in cybersecurity, launching a new Joint Security Operations Center in Brooklyn, and prioritizing the development of the cyber talent pipeline. Enhancing the cybersecurity of state and local governments has been a focus of mine in Congress, and as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I secured $1 billion in new state and local cybersecurity grant funding. This new grant program will ensure New York can continue to build on the important efforts announced today. State and local governments have seen an onslaught of ransomware attacks in recent years and need to strengthen their cyber defenses. These threats are a national security issue, and the Federal government must be a supportive partner through additional resources and enhanced information sharing. As Chairwoman of Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation Subcommittee, I will continue to work with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to ensure state and local governments have the assistance they need to protect against cyberattacks.
CLARKE’S STATEMENT ON HER LEGISLATION TO HONOR CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY
Judge Constance Baker Motley was a revolutionary shero who elevated our nation to higher grounds. She was a brilliant civil rights lawyer who dedicated her life in service to others and to bettering America. Judge Motley took on high profile cases, including representing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and arguing successfully for school integration in Mississippi and defending the rights of women sports reporters. She was a trailblazer who changed the moral landscape of our society despite the real threats to her own life. Judge Motley quietly lifted us higher, even making time to mentor young Black women following in her footsteps. As the first Black woman to argue in front of the Supreme Court, the first elected to the state Senate in New York, and the first woman elected Manhattan Borough president, Judge Motley is one of the most important figures in American history. I am honored to join the chorus calling for her to receive a Congressional Gold Medal. Judge Constance Baker Motley spent a lifetime in service to our nation, and to improve the lives of African Americans. She changed our nation’s history and the Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting tribute to her legacy.
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