Yvette Diane Clarke (born November 21, 1964) is an American politician serving as the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
New York's 9th congressional district
New York's 9th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City, represented by Yvette Clarke.
The district is located entirely within Brooklyn. It includes the neighborhoods of ...
since 2013. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, she first entered Congress in 2007, representing
New York's 11th congressional district
New York's 11th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. The 11th district includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of B ...
until redistricting. Clarke represented the
40th district in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
on the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...
from 2002 to 2006.
Early life and education
Clarke was born in
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the north, ...
, on November 21, 1964, to Lesley Clarke and former city councilwoman
Una Clarke, both immigrants from
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
. She graduated from
Edward R. Murrow High School and earned a scholarship to enroll at
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...
in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, which she attended from 1982 to 1986.
[Celeste Katz, New York Daily News]
Daily Politics: Yvette's Education
, August 23, 2006 While studying at Oberlin, she spent a summer interning in the
Washington, D.C
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
. office of Representative
Major Owens
Major Robert Odell Owens (June 28, 1936 – October 21, 2013) was an American politician and librarian who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2007, representing the New York's 11th and then 12th Congressional distri ...
, where she told ''
Roll Call
''Roll Call'' is a newspaper and website published in Washington, D.C., United States, when the United States Congress is in session, reporting news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of ...
'' that she worked on legislative issues involving Caribbean-American trade.
In August 2006, ''
Crain's New York Business
Crain Communications Inc is an American multi-industry publishing conglomerate based in Detroit, Michigan, United States, with 13 non-US subsidiaries.
History
Gustavus Dedman (G.D.) Crain, Jr. ( Gustavus Demetrious Crain, Jr.; 1885–1973), pre ...
'' and the ''
Daily News'' reported that Clarke's Oberlin transcripts indicated that she had not graduated, contrary to what her campaign literature claimed.
Clarke initially said she thought she had earned sufficient credits to graduate from Oberlin, then later said she had completed her degree by attending courses at
Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers College is a public college in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), offering baccalaureate and associate degrees. It was officially established in 1970 through cooperation between educator ...
.
In 2011, Clarke suggested that she planned to finish her degree at Oberlin by completing independent academic projects.
[''Crain's New York Business'']
Clarke Still Seeking Diploma
March 2, 2011
Early career
Before entering politics, Clarke worked as a
childcare specialist and trained community residents to care for the children of working parents. Later, she served as an assistant to
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
Velmanette Montgomery (born December 22, 1942) is an American Democratic Party politician who represented the 25th district of the New York State Senate from 1984 until 2020. The district comprised Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Red Hook, Bedfor ...
of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
and
Assemblywoman Barbara Clark
Barbara Lynne Clark (born September 24, 1958), later known by her married name Barbara Parolin, is a former competitive swimmer from Canada, who competed primarily in international freestyle events. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Q ...
, of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
. Clarke also worked as director of
business development
Business development entails tasks and processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within and between organizations. It is a subset of the fields of business, commerce and organizational theory. Business development is the creation of ...
for the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and was the second director of the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
portion of the
New York City Empowerment Zone.
New York City Council
Clarke was elected to the
40th district of the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...
in 2001. She succeeded her mother, former City Council member Una S. T. Clarke,
who held the seat for more than a decade, making theirs the first mother-to-daughter succession in city council.
She cosponsored City Council resolutions that opposed the
war in Iraq
This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states.
Other armed conflicts involving Iraq
* Wars during Mandatory Iraq
** Ikhwan raid on South Iraq 1921
* Smaller conflicts, revolutions, coups and periphery confli ...
, criticized the federal
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act (commonly known as the Patriot Act) was a landmark Act of the United States Congress, signed into law by President George W. Bush. The formal name of the statute is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appro ...
, and called for a national moratorium on the
death penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
. She was a frequent critic of the
Bush
Bush commonly refers to:
* Shrub, a small or medium woody plant
Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to:
People
* Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name
**Bush family, a prominent American family that includes:
*** ...
administration's policies, and opposed budget cuts by Bush and Congress on several programs addressing women's rights and poverty. She later voted against extending provisions of the Patriot Act after the election of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
.
* Committee on Contracts (chair)
** Committee on Education
** Committee on Fire & Criminal Justice Services
** Committee on Health
** Committee on Land Use
** Committee on Planning, Dispositions & Concessions
** Committee on Rules, Privileges & Elections
U.S. House of Representatives
District
Clarke's district, redrawn from the 11th in 2013, includes
Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead, Sheephead, or Sheep's Head, may refer to:
Fish
* ''Archosargus probatocephalus'', a medium-sized saltwater fish of the Atlantic Ocean
* Freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', a medium-sized freshwater fish of North and Central Am ...
,
Gerritsen Beach
Gerritsen Beach is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, located between Sheepshead Bay to the west and Marine Park to the east. The area is served by Brooklyn Community Board 15. The population of the neighborhood is 4,797 as ...
,
Brownsville,
Crown Heights,
East Flatbush
East Flatbush is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. East Flatbush is bounded by Crown Heights and Empire Boulevard to the north; Brownsville and East 98th Street to the east; Flatlands, Canarsie and the ...
,
Flatbush,
Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
,
Midwood
Midwood is a neighborhood in the south-central part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded on the north by the Bay Ridge Branch tracks just above Avenue I and by the Brooklyn College campus of the City University of New York, a ...
,
Prospect Heights,
Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Prospect Lefferts Gardens is a residential neighborhood in the Flatbush area of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The community is bounded by Empire Boulevard (formerly Malbone Street) to the north, Clarkson Avenue to the south, New York A ...
and
Park Slope
Park Slope is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush A ...
.
Tenure
In April 2007, Clarke was the sole member of Congress to oppose a bill to rename the Ellis Island Library after British-born
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
, saying in a statement, "Bob Hope is a great American and a fantastic human being,
utI see the museum and all aspects of the island to be greater than any one human being."
On September 29, 2008, Clarke voted in support of HR 3997, the Emergency Economic Stability Act of 2008. The act failed, 205–228. She wrote legislation to improve the process of removing the names of individuals who believe they were wrongly identified as a threat when screened against the
No Fly List
The No Fly List maintained by the United States federal government's Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) is one of several lists included in algorithmic rulesets used by government agencies and airlines to decide who to allow to board airline flight ...
used by the
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
, which passed 413–3 on February 3, 2009. In November 2009 she was one of 54 members of Congress to sign on to a controversial letter to President Obama, urging him to use diplomatic pressure to resolve the blockade affecting
Gaza. On March 25, 2010, she introduced the
International Cybercrime Reporting and Cooperation Act – H.R.4962.
Clarke supported the
Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument Preservation Act (H.R. 1501; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the
Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to:
* Secretary of the Interior (Mexico)
* Interior Secretary of Pakistan
* Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)
* United States Secretary of the Interior
See also
*Interior ministry ...
to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the
Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument
The Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument is a war memorial at Fort Greene Park, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It commemorates more than 11,500 American prisoners of war who died in captivity aboard sixteen British prison ships during th ...
in
Fort Greene Park
Fort Greene Park is a city-owned and -operated park in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City. The park was originally named after the fort formerly located there, Fort Putnam, which itself was named for Rufus Putnam, George Washington's Chief ...
in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
as a unit of the National Park System (NPS).
Clarke argued the bill was a good idea because "this monument commemorates not only the sacrifices of soldiers in the Revolutionary War who dedicated themselves to the cause of liberty, but a reminder that even in wartime we must protect basic human rights. These thousands of deaths were an atrocity that should never occur again."
On September 17, 2013, Clarke introduced the
Homeland Security Cybersecurity Boots-on-the-Ground Act (H.R. 3107; 113th Congress), a bill that would require the
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the Federal government of the United States, U.S. United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the I ...
(DHS) to undertake several actions designed to improve the readiness and capacity of DHS's cybersecurity workforce.
DHS would also be required to create a strategy for recruiting and training additional cybersecurity employees.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Energy and Commerce
A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
(Vice Chair)
**
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
**
Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
**
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
*
Committee on Small Business
**
Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
**
Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce
*
United States House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation(Chair)
Caucus memberships
*
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...
, First Vice Chair
* Congressional Caribbean Caucus, Chair
* Congressional Caucus on Multicultural Media, Chair
* Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, Co-chair
* Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys, Co-chair
*
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most left-leaning faction of the Democratic Party. " e Congressional Progressive Cau ...
.
*
Congressional Arts Caucus
The Congressional Arts Caucus is a registered Congressional Member Organization for the US House of Representatives in the 115th Congress.
History
The Congressional Arts Caucus was created in the 1980s as a way for the various members of Congres ...
*
Medicare for All Caucus
Policy positions
Israel
Clarke has said she supports a
two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotia ...
to the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...
. Some of her stances have subjected her to public criticism by constituents in her district, which is roughly 20% Jewish according to 2010
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
estimates.
In 2010, Clarke signed two petitions urging Obama to pressure Israel to resolve the
Gaza Blockade
The blockade of the Gaza Strip is the ongoing land, air, and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel and Egypt temporarily in 2005–2006 and permanently from 2007 onwards, following the Israeli disengagement from Gaza.
The block ...
, which she later retracted.
In 2009, she voted against H.R. 867, which sought to condemn the controversial
Goldstone Report
Goldstone may refer to:
Places
* Goldstone, Shropshire, a small village in Shropshire, England
*Goldstone, California, a ghost town near the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
* Goldstone Lake, a dry lake in the Mojave Desert of San Bern ...
commissioned by the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
. In 2015 Clarke indicated she would vote for the
JCPOA
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; fa, برنامه جامع اقدام مشترک , barnāmeye jāme'e eqdāme moshtarak (, ''BARJAM'')), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear ...
, known as the
Iran nuclear deal
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; fa, برنامه جامع اقدام مشترک , barnāmeye jāme'e eqdāme moshtarak (, ''BARJAM'')), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear ...
, despite appeals from some of her Jewish constituents and local advocacy groups to vote against it.
Explaining her decision, Clarke said in a statement, "Iran is on the verge of creating a nuclear bomb, right now. The JCPOA provides a pathway that holds great potential to forever change this reality." In 2015, Clarke attended
Prime Minister of Israel
The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exec ...
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
's speech before a joint session of Congress after initially expressing uncertainty.
Abortion
Clarke has stated that she is
pro-choice
Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...
. She has earned high ratings from interest groups such as
NARAL
NARAL Pro-Choice America, commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, political action, and advocacy efforts to oppose restrictions on abortion, to expand access to ...
Pro-Choice America and
Planned Parenthood
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...
for her votes against legislation to place restrictions on abortion rights, including the
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act () is a bill that was introduced to the 112th Congress of the United States in the House of Representatives by Rep. Chris Smith ( R-New Jersey) and Dan Lipinski ( D-Illinois). The bill's stated purpose is " ...
of 2011, which would have prohibited federal funds from being used to cover abortions.
Her ratings with
anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...
organizations such as the
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
Since the 1980s, NRLC has influen ...
have been correspondingly low.
Budget, spending and tax issues
Clarke has consistently opposed legislation to reduce government spending and cut taxes, including voting against the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012, which sought to extend tax cuts established during
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
's administration through the end of 2013.
Clarke received a 92% rating from the ''
National Journal
''National Journal'' is an advisory services company based in Washington, D.C., offering services in government affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder mapping, and policy brands research for government and business leaders. It publishes da ...
'' for being liberal on economic policy in 2011, while she received a 15% rating from the
National Taxpayers Union
The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) is a fiscally conservative taxpayer advocacy organization and taxpayers union in the United States, founded in 1977 by James Dale Davidson. NTU says that it is the oldest taxpayer advocacy organization in th ...
for her positions on tax and spending in 2011, and a 2% rating from the
Citizens Against Government Waste in 2010.
Environmental policy
Clarke has supported efforts to
combat climate change and
limit fossil fuel consumption. She has generally opposed legislation that gives priority to economic over conservation interests, such as the Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 and the Conservation and Economic Growth Act of 2012. She has supported legislation that increases conservation efforts and regulation of the energy industry, such as the Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments Act of 2010.
In 2011 Clarke received 100% ratings from
Environment America
Environment America is a federation of state-based environmental advocacy organizations in the United States. The organization researches and advocates for environmental policies through lobbying, litigation, and the mobilization of public suppor ...
, the
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environmen ...
, and the
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...
, the latter on her clean water positions, while she received a 14% rating over the period 2008–2011 from the Global Exchange for her loyalty to the finance, insurance, and real estate lobbies.
She was strongly critical of the
Trump administration
Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...
's decision to
withdraw from the
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...
.
Immigration
Clarke has called for
immigration reform
Immigration reform is change to the current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, ''reform'' means "to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses". In the political sense, "immigration ...
that would create a
path to citizenship for
undocumented immigrants
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
living in the United States and direct resources away from
enforcement
Enforcement is the proper execution of the process of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, rules, standards, and social norms.
Governments attempt to effectuate successful implementation of policies by enforcing laws and regulations.
Ena ...
. In 2010, she voted for the
DREAM Act
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, is a United States legislative proposal to grant temporary conditional residency, with the right to work, to illegal immigrants who entered the United States a ...
, which passed the House but was blocked in the Senate. Clarke has voted against legislative proposals to
constrain immigration. She praised the Obama administration's
DACA
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, colloquially referred to as DACA, is a United States immigration policy that allows some individuals with unlawful presence in the United States after being brought to the country as children to receive a ...
program and condemned the Trump administration's termination of the program, calling it "cruel and vindictive". She has also called for extending the
Temporary Protected Status
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary status given by the United States government to eligible nationals of designated countries, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security, who are present in the United States. In general, the ...
granted to
Haitian immigrants seeking refuge after the
2010 earthquake in Haiti, and for the
abolition of ICE.
Technology
On April 10, 2019, Clarke and Senators
Ron Wyden
Ronald Lee Wyden (; born May 3, 1949) is an American politician and retired educator serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Oregon, a seat he has held since 1996 United Stat ...
and
Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. se ...
introduced the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2019, legislation granting additional powers to the Federal Trade Commission in addition to forcing companies to study whether race, gender or other biases influence their technology.
On January 11, 2022, Clarke and Representative
Ritchie Torres
Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician from New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres is the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district. The district covers most of the South Bronx. It ...
sent a letter to Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), requesting more information on efforts to reduce security risks to federal networks through the adoption of multi-factor authentication requirements. The letter argues that broad adoption of multi-factor-authentication is essential to protect the security of federal networks and systems.
In the media
On the ''
Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show foc ...
'', in its "
Better Know a District
Better Know a District (also known as BKAD) was a recurring segment on ''The Colbert Report''. It offered a humorous examination of a different United States congressional district in each segment and generally included an interview with that dis ...
" segment in early September 2012, when
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
asked Clarke what she would have changed in 1898, the year Brooklyn merged with New York City, if she could go back in time, Clarke answered the abolition of slavery. Colbert replied, "Slavery...Really? I didn't realize there was slavery in Brooklyn in 1898". (Slavery was abolished in New York State in 1827.
[) Clarke responded, "I'm pretty sure there was", saying the Dutch owned slaves in New York in 1898.] The next day, Clarke was unavailable for comment, and her media representative stated the statements were meant in jest.
2016 presidential election
Clarke endorsed Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
for president in 2016 and cast a vote for her as a superdelegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majo ...
. During the 2016 campaign, Clarke appeared with Clinton at an event at Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers College is a public college in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), offering baccalaureate and associate degrees. It was officially established in 1970 through cooperation between educator ...
.
Political campaigns
In 2004, Clarke, then a member of the New York City Council, made her first run for Congress for the 11th district against incumbent Major Owens, for whom she had interned in college. Clarke's run followed an unsuccessful bid by her mother in 2000 against Owens for the same seat. Clarke lost the 2004 Democratic primary to Owens, who won 45.4% of the vote to her 28.9% in a multi-candidate race. After the 2004 election, Owens declined to seek reelection, after which Clarke announced her intention to run again in 2006. Owens later called Clarke and her mother's successive political campaigns against him " stab in the back".
2006
In May 2006, another Caribbean-American candidate, Assemblyman N. Nick Perry
Noah Nickolas Perry (born August 1, 1950) is an American politician and diplomat who has served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to Jamaica, United States ambassador to Jamaica since 2022. He served as a member of the New York Stat ...
, withdrew from the race to succeed Owens, leading some observers to contend that Clarke's chances for winning the race would improve now that another candidate from the same community was no longer competing.
Election results
On September 12, 2006, Clarke won the Democratic nomination with a plurality, 31.20%, of the vote in a four-person primary, defeating then-councilman David Yassky
David S. Yassky (born March 3, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician. He was a member of the New York City Council from 2002 until 2009, the chairperson of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, and the Dean of Pace University Schoo ...
, State Senator Carl Andrews, and Major Owens's son, Christopher Owens. In the November 7 general election, Clarke was elected to the House of Representatives with 89% of the vote against Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nominee Stephen Finger.
2008
Clarke was reelected on November 4 by a large margin.
2010
Clarke was reelected on November 2 by a large margin.
2012
Clarke was challenged in the Democratic primary by Sylvia Kinard, an attorney and ex-wife of former New York City Comptroller
The Office of Comptroller of New York City, a position established in 1801, is the chief financial officer and chief auditor of the city agencies and their performance and spending. The comptroller also reviews all city contracts, handles the s ...
and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson. Clarke defeated Kinard with 88.3% of the vote. She had $50,000 in her campaign account before the June primary. In the November general election, Clarke defeated Republican nominee Daniel Cavanagh.
2014
Clarke was reelected with 89.5% of the vote, defeating Cavanagh again.
2016
Clarke ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Alan Bellone in the November general election with 92.4% of the vote.
2018
On June 26, Clarke narrowly defeated primary challenger Adem Bunkeddeko with 51.9% of the vote. She defeated Republican nominee Lutchi Gayot in the November 6 general election.
2020
Clarke faced a four-way Democratic primary against Adem Bunkeddeko, Chaim Deutsch
Chaim M. Deutsch is an American politician who served as a New York City Council Member for the 48th district from 2014 to 2021. He is a Democrat. The district includes Brighton Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park, ...
, and former army veteran and Democratic Socialists of America member Isiah James.
See also
* List of African-American United States representatives
The United States House of Representatives has had 156 elected African Americans, African-American members, of whom 150 have been representatives from U.S. states and 6 have been Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives, ...
* Women in the United States House of Representatives
Women have served in the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber, since the 1916 election of Republican Jeannette Rankin from Montana, the first woman in Con ...
References
External links
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
official U.S. House website
Yvette Clarke for Congress
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Yvette
1964 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American people in New York (state) politics
African-American women in politics
American people of Jamaican descent
American United Methodists
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Living people
New York City Council members
People from Flatbush, Brooklyn
Women New York City Council members
Edward R. Murrow High School alumni
African-American New York City Council members
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women