Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the announcement by New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos that he would refuse to allow a vote on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to offer early childhood education to everyone in New York City.

Mayor de Blasio wants to pay for the expansion of early childhood education with a tax increase on annual incomes of more than $500,000, to 4.4 percent from 3.9 percent. For the 27,300 taxpayers who earn between $500,000 and $1 million, the increase would amount to about $973 each year

“Mayor de Blasio campaigned on a pledge to expand access to early childhood education by increasing local taxes on the wealthy, those earning $500,000 and more. He went on to be elected, in a landslide, by New Yorkers. Now, he wants to fulfill that pledge to the people of New York City, and unfortunately the leadership in the New York State Senate has chosen to create an obstacle to his electoral mandate. It is my hope that the coalition leaders in the State Senate will work to move this matter to a vote to realize the will of New York City voters. We should not be deterred by the pronouncements of Senator Skelos. We must remain focused on the goal at hand- Full Day, Universal Pre-Kindergarten for all four- years-olds in the City of New York, with dedicated funding paid through an extremely modest investment of the wealthiest residents of our town and nothing less.”

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