April 29, 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 my bi-weekly update on the work I champion in Congress. As we head towards summer and away from the hardships of recent years, I believe it is important to reflect on how far we've come. Every day, our economy continues to grow with new, decent paying jobs keeping more and more Americans and their families safe and secure. Every day, we further depart from our dependence on foreign fossil fuels, which will protect our planet and our communities far into the future. Every day, Democrats are fighting to bring this nation the progress it so fundamentally deserves.

Yes, you can certainly say Democrats are Delivering. But please know, we cannot do it alone. Your support and civic participation is paramount in securing the investments and federal dollars we need to improve our communities. Together, and thanks to the on-going support of passionate individuals such as yourself, we will continue to bring tangible, meaningful change to our Brooklyn district. 

You can contact my office via email at clarke.house.gov/contact/email/. Or, if you prefer 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

What You Need-To-Know About Passport Services

Applying for a passport can be a challenging and stressful experience. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, I recommend planning ahead and applying early. As of April, the current processing times following a passport application are as follows:

• Routine Service: 8 to 11 weeks
• Expedited Service: 5 to 7 weeks

Please note, processing times begin the day Passport Services receives the application at a passport agency or center, not the day the application is mailed or submitted. 

To check the status of your passport application, please visit: passportstatus.state.gov with the following information:

• Last name on application 
• Date of birth 
• Social Security Number (Last Four Digits)

For more detailed information, please click here. 

Home Help For Heroes Program

NYC's Summer Student Program

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

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. 

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.

Student Loan Deferment Extension

The Biden Administration recently announced that its deferment period on student loan repayments has been extended to August 31st, 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.

Casework

Cases Open: My staff is always hard at work assisting our constituents. As of today, we have a total of 581 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 75 cases from constituents. That means 75 separate issues our neighbors in the 9th District brought to my attention, were resolved.

Co-Sponsored Legislation: Over the past two weeks, I lent my support and commitment to the following bills:

H.R.7502 - Babies over Billionaires Act of 2022
At a time when the richest Americans have increased their wealth by trillions of dollars and the poorest Americans are forced to decide between paying rent or buying food, the choice is clear: we must center the needs of America’s people, not its oligarchs. This legislation annually taxes 30% of unrealized gains of ultra-millionaires from publicly traded capital assets at the prevailing long-term capital gains rate, taxes 50% of unrealized gains of private capital assets at the prevailing long-term capital gains rate every 5 years, mandates the IRS annually audit filers reporting in excess of $100 million in assets to crack down on rampant tax abuse by the wealthy, and invests the revenue raised by this tax in programs run by the Department of Education and HHS that support families and children. It will change lives, it will save lives, and I am proud to support it.

H.R.7585 - The Health Equity and Accountability Act

When so many inequities intersect and compound on one another, we need comprehensive legislation that not only takes that fact into consideration, but is designed specifically with it in mind. This first-of-its-kind bill aims to address social determinants of health, improve access for underserved communities, address maternal health and mental health crises, gun violence, and much more.

• NYPost: Congress presses MTA on camera malfunctions during Brooklyn subway shooting
• Caribbean National Weekly: Grace Kennedy receives US Congressional Proclamation in New York
  

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