Yvette Clarke RSS Articles

Clarke Statement on Vote to Repeal Affordable Care Act

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Yvette D. Clarke criticized an attempt by Republicans in the House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act today, which was enacted by Congress in 2010 and held constitutional by the Supreme Court last year.

The vote of 229 to 195 was the thirty-seventh effort to repeal the Act, which has improved health care for our families and our communities. More than 105 million people have received preventative services under the Act, and millions of young adults have access to health care under insurance plans in which their parents are enrolled.

“The Affordable Care Act has already provided benefits – benefits that help people in their daily lives – for millions of Americans,” said Representative Clarke. “Access to critical services – such as primary care visits, family planning services for men and women, and lower prices on prescription drugs for seniors – has been substantially improved.”

In addition, the Affordable Care Act will soon prohibit the denial of health insurance coverage based on pre-existing conditions and allow millions of Americans to purchase health insurance, with subsidies for low-income and middle-income families.

Representative Clarke continued: “Republicans have claimed that the supporters of this Act want the federal government to control health care. I disagree. We believe that the American people, rather than insurance companies, should have the freedom to choose their health care.”

###

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations; Ethics; and Homeland Security, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents several neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which includes Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, Ocean Hill, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.

U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Background Check System

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

BROOKLYN, NY – U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke has become a co-sponsor of legislation that will prevent convicted criminals and people with dangerous mental illnesses from buying firearms.

The proposal – the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2013 – would expand the existing background check program to almost every purchase of a firearm. Representative Peter King, a Republican from New York, and Representative Mike Thompson, a Democrat from California, introduced the legislation.

“Currently, members of a terrorist organizations and people convicted of violent crimes have the ability to purchase assault weapons at gun shows and in private transactions,” said Representative Yvette D. Clarke. “We need to eliminate this serious risk to families and children.”

“For more than forty years, licensed firearm dealers have completed background checks for purchases in their stores,” said Representative Clarke. “We should require every dealers of firearms to comply.”

The proposal would also improves the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, by providing support for states to improve reporting of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill and by directing future grant funds toward the best record-sharing systems.

###

Clarke Statement on Explosions in Boston Marathon

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement today on the explosions that occurred near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

"On behalf of the people of the 9^th Congressional District in New York, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims killed today at the Boston Marathon," stated Representative Yvette D. Clarke.

"It is disheartening to learn that explosive devices were placed to intentionally harm innocent bystanders, but I want to encourage everyone to cooperate with law enforcement authorities as they work to identify whomever is responsible for these senseless attacks and increase public safety. I want to applaud our first responders for their heroism.

"I wish the women, men, and children injured in this incident a quick recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the city of Boston at this time," concluded Representative Clarke.

###

Thousands of Adventist Youth March Across Brooklyn Bridge Against Violence

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Thousands of Adventist Youth March Across Brooklyn Bridge Against Violence
By Kimi-Roux James

The Adventist News Network
3/29/2013

More than 3,000 Seventh-day Adventist youth and supporters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York last Saturday in a demonstration calling for compassion and an end to violence. Adventist youth march across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday March 23 in a call for compassion and an end to violence.

Each participant wore a red and white t-shirt depicting a hand forming the shape of a heart sign. The t-shirt slogan read: “Compassion: Because Actions Speak Louder Than Words.”The event was part of a three-day “Compassion Weekend” youth and community service rally sponsored by the Adventist Church. The march was preceded by a press conference in Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza and drew church leaders and government representatives.“Today, we would like to call on the leaders … the families, the schools and the churches of New York City to begin a movement of compassion,” said Jose Cortez Jr., Youth Ministries director for the Adventist Church’s Atlantic Union.

“It is our resolve to take this movement across the Northeast of our country and have it replicated across the world by other Adventist youth and young adults,” he said.

To continue reading this article please click here.

Clarke Statement on Passover Celebration

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

BROOKLYN, NY- Representative Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement in celebration of the upcoming holiday of Passover, which begins this evening.

“I want to wish everyone in Brooklyn a wonderful Passover, which commemorates the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt – the narrative of Exodus provides an example for our time. In the search for freedom, people from around the world, such as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, have referred to the exodus as a model,” said Representative Clarke.

“The idea of freedom remains relevant in many cultures throughout history. We must continue to work together as a community to ensure equality and justice for all regardless of socioeconomic status, religion, or gender. ‘Chag Kasher V'Sameach,’” concluded Representative Clarke.

Financial, Energy Sectors Call for Cyber Information-Sharing Legislation

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Financial, Energy Sectors Call for Cyber Information-Sharing Legislation
By Jennifer Martinez

The Hill
3/13/13 3:46PM

Two representatives from the financial and energy sectors on Wednesday called on Congress to pass legislation that would increase the flow of data shared between the government and industry about cyber threats.

"At the end of the day, we need to know what's going on and what's affecting us," said Anish Bhimani, chief information risk officer of JPMorgan Chase, who testified on behalf of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center at a House hearing.

Bhimani told members of the House Homeland Security Committee that companies need to receive data from the government about online threats in a timely manner so they can thwart cyberattacks in real time.

"What we care most about is that we're able to receive actionable, timely information from whoever has it," he said.

Gary Hayes, chief information officer of CenterPoint Energy, said cybersecurity legislation needs to be flexible enough so it can apply to both small and large businesses.

"One size fits all is not appropriate," he said.

These calls for information-sharing legislation come a day after JP Morgan's public website was inaccessible due to a hacker attack. Many U.S. companies — including Apple, Twitter and Microsoft — have gone public in recent weeks about suffering from computer security breaches.

To read the rest of this article please click here.

A Rise in Rank with Election of New Assemblymember

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A Rise in Rank with Election of New Assemblymember
By David Kene

New York Amsterdam News
3/8/2013 12:23 PM

The February swearing-in ceremony of Walter T. Mosley III marked his official rise in rank as representative of the people residing in the 57th Assembly District in Brooklyn.

After eking out a win during the primaries with nearly 60 percent of the vote and then trouncing his Republican opponent during the general elections, garnering over 90 percent of the nearly 48,000 votes recorded, Mosley now moves up from his previous post as committee district leader (a post he held for four years) to assume the promoted role as assemblymember of the district that comprises Fort Greene and parts of Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Reps. Yvette Clarke and Hakeem Jeffries (who previously represented Brooklyn’s 57th Assembly District before his election to Congress) were among the dozens of people who gathered to congratulate Mosley.

To read the rest of this article please click here.

The Voting Rights Act Revisited

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Voting Rights Act Revisited
By Rep. Yvette D. Clarke

The Hill
3/7/2013 5:30 PM

Nearly 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Shelby County v. Holder. This case is about whether the federal government can continue to require some states, counties, and cities to request approval or "pre-clearance" from the Justice Department for alterations to their voting laws or congressional maps.

The states, counties, and cities which are required to request "pre-clearance" have been designated as such based on their history of voting discrimination and are covered under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and includes jurisdictions primarily located in the South, as well as several counties in New York.

As a woman of color who witnessed the re-election of our nation's first black president, and the U.S. Representative for the new Ninth Congressional District of New York, I am deeply concerned that a Supreme Court decision to overturn Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder could undermine the right to vote for people of color across the nation.

My district includes many sections of the historic Twelfth Congressional District that was created in response to widespread voting discrimination practices during the 1960s. I have the privilege of being in the succession of the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, who originally represented the district and was the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Without the Voting Rights Act, it would have been highly unlikely that President Barack Obama, Shirley Chisholm, and I would have had the opportunity to be successful in electoral politics. I believe that we all have a moral obligation to preserve and protect these rights for the good of our nation which requires diversity among the women and men elected to city, state, and federal office.

The necessity of the pre-clearance requirement has been demonstrated – again and again – by the efforts of several southern states such as Alabama, to implement strict voter identification laws that are intended to prevent Black and Latino voters from casting ballots. The culmination of the pre-clearance requirement places at-risk the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement in allowing people of color to participate in our democracy. Gains in ballot access made sure our ballots were cast and counted – these ballots are our voices in the democratic process.

I join my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in reaffirming the necessity of the pre-clearance requirement under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act which allows the full participation of all Americans in our civil society. The ability to vote is not a privilege but a right that must remain intact for future generations.

#

Will Jurisdictional Fight Slow Down CISPA's Momentum?

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Will Juridsictional Fight Slow Down CISPA's Momentum?
By Mike Masnick

TechDirt
3/7/2013 11:06 PM

Thanks to a fair bit of propaganda making the rounds, it feels like CISPA -- the cybersecurity bill that seeks to obliterate privacy protections without explaining how that will increase our security -- is on a bit of a fast track towards approval. However a bit of a stumbling block may have popped up. Congressional Representatives Bennie Thompson and Yvette Clarke -- the ranking members on the Committee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies -- have suddenly realized that all of this is happening without their support.

To read the rest of this article please click here.

Clarke Statement on Women’s History Month

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

BROOKLYN, NY – U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke issued the following statement in recognition of Women’s History Month.

“I encourage everyone in Brooklyn to remember the contributions of women to the development of our nation,” said Representative Clarke. “From Abigail Adams, whose works informed the drafting of our Constitution, to Rosa Parks, whose courage has inspired generations of civil rights activists, women have been leaders in the fight for equality.”

“Our work must continue. Women are still underrepresented in elected office and in the executive suites of our corporation, while wage discrimination persists,” continued Representative Clarke.

On Thursday, Representative Clarke voted with a majority of her colleagues in the House of Representatives to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which authorizes the federal government, the states, law enforcement, and service providers to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assaults and stalking.

“The security of our wives, sisters, daughters, and friends depends on the Violence Against Women Act, which was finally reauthorized after Republican leaders in Congress allowed the law to expire,” said Representative Clarke. “I commend my colleagues in Congress who worked to extend the protections of this law to every woman in America.”

Women’s History Month started as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week."

###