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June 10, 2022
Dear Brooklynites 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.
If you'd like to reach me to share your thoughts on the future of gun control in this nation, 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
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NYC Parks Career Fair
Community Board 17 Health and Housing Fairs
Repair Grants For Homeowners
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
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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.
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.
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Sponsored Legislation: In the past two weeks, I introduced the following bill to the House of Representatives:
H.Res. 1154 - Designating June 2022 as "National Cybersecurity Education Month"
As Chair of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation Subcommittee, I have long pursued the solutions necessary towards protecting American interests and the American people in cyberspaces in the face of hostile powers bolstering their own cyber capabilities. While technological advances are significant in our efforts, they remain only half the equation. If we do not take the steps to provide our population with the cyber literacy necessary to detect and overcome these virtual threats, a daunting vulnerability will persist through our defenses. When it comes to cybersecurity, knowledge equates to safety and security. Through National Cybersecurity Education Month, we will further our federal commitment towards educating the American people on the best practices to protect their personal information online from any threat that may arise long into the future.
Co-Sponsored Legislation: Over the past two weeks, I lent my support and commitment to the following bills:
H.R.7949 - Stay Cool Act
When extreme hate only continues to worsen through the terrible consequences of climate change, action becomes necessary. For many Americans, living through unexpected heat emergencies is not simply an inconvenience or nuisance, it is a life-threatening natural disaster. While we must act to combat the causes of climate change, we cannot ignore the impacts people are already facing. The Stay Cool Act helps us to better understand and address the immediate impacts of extreme heat emergencies. It treats extreme heat with the urgency that it deserves. Extreme heat is already the deadliest weather-related disaster we face and will only get worse as our planet warms. It’s time we took steps to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat to save lives.”
H.R.7920 - Consent is Key Act
Everyone deserves to have their bodily autonomy respected. As such, absolute consent is not only necessary, but essential. The act of stealthing is a grave violation of dignity and trust that is considered emotional and sexual abuse. Congress has an obligation to address stealthing at the federal level and allow survivors to hold those that have stealthed them accountable. Stealthing is a horrific act of sexual violence and must be put to an end.
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CONGRESSWOMAN CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON HER VOTE TO PASS THE PROTECTING OUR KIDS ACT
Last night, I voted with my fellow House Democrats to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act – omnibus legislation intended to curb the gun violence crisis that has long struck our nation through meaningful, common sense gun control measures. From raising the purchasing age for a semi-automatic rifle to 21, to a ban on large-capacity magazines, to reformed firearm storage regulations, and much more, this legislation will serve as an impactful element in our efforts to overcome the horrors of gun violence. I am proud to have played my role in our vital fight to protect our kids, our communities, and generations to come. Now, as this package heads to the Senate where it will face an uphill struggle, I ask only that our Senators consider the fates of our children as they cast their votes.
CO-CHAIRS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL CARIBBEAN CAUCUS ISSUE STATEMENT ON MEETINGS WITH CARICOM DIPLOMATIC CORPS
On the eve of the Summit of the Americas, we met with the diplomatic corps of Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and Grenadines, to discuss how our caucus can best aid their nations through the distinct and shared challenges they face. Recently, two of our co-chairs, Rep. Waters and Rep. Plaskett, had the pleasure to discuss the important issues facing the Caribbean region with ten Caribbean heads of state during a congressional delegation to the region led by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. We were pleased to have had the opportunity to continue those conversations prior to the Summit of the Americas and hear from the ambassadors who are representing their countries and carrying out the agendas of their countries as led by the heads of state. Our caucus thanks the diplomats not only for taking the time to join us for these critical discussions, but for their ceaseless and selfless work on behalf of the nations they serve. Through the many difficulties and hardships of recent years, the proud people of the Caribbean have persevered – that is in no small part due to the dedicated leadership of public servants like those who compose their diplomatic corps. Their determination and passion were inspiring, and we look forward to continuing these conversations and working together in the years to come. The US-Caribbean relationship is long and close, and it needs to be closer. Following the Summit of the Americas, we will be working to ensure that the US continues to engage with the region, bringing US and Caribbean leaders together to confront the challenges we face in pursuit of a better future for all of the people of our region.
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