Yvette Clarke facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Yvette Clarke


Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Steven Horsford
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Major Owens
Constituency	11th district (2007–2013) 9th district (2013–present)
Member of the New York City Council from the 40th district
In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2006
Preceded by	Una S. T. Clarke
Succeeded by	Mathieu Eugene

Personal details
Born	Yvette Diane Clarke (1964-11-21) November 21, 1964 (age 60) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Relatives	Una S. T. Clarke (mother)

Yvette Diane Clarke (born November 21, 1964) is an American politician. She serves as a U.S. representative for New York's 9th congressional district. She has held this position since 2013. Before that, she represented New York's 11th district starting in 2007. Clarke is a member of the Democratic Party. From 2002 to 2006, she was also a member of the New York City Council for the 40th district in Brooklyn.

Early Life and Education

Yvette Clarke was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on November 21, 1964. Her parents, Lesley and Una Clarke, were immigrants from Jamaica. Her mother was also a city councilwoman.

Yvette went to Edward R. Murrow High School. She then received a scholarship to Oberlin College in Ohio, where she studied from 1982 to 1986. During one summer, she worked as an intern in Washington, D.C. for Representative Major Owens. She focused on trade issues related to the Caribbean-American community.

Later, there were reports that Clarke had not officially graduated from Oberlin College. She explained that she believed she had enough credits. She also mentioned taking courses at Medgar Evers College to complete her degree.

Early Career

Before becoming a politician, Clarke worked with children. She was a childcare specialist and trained people to care for children whose parents worked.

She also worked for several New York State politicians. She was an assistant to State Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblywoman Barbara Clark. Clarke also helped with business development in the Bronx.

Serving on the New York City Council

In 2001, Clarke was elected to the 40th district of the New York City Council. She took over the seat from her mother, Una S. T. Clarke. This was the first time a mother and daughter had served one after the other in the city council.

While on the council, she supported resolutions against the Iraq War. She also spoke out against parts of the federal USA PATRIOT Act. Clarke called for an end to the death penalty nationwide. She often criticized the Bush administration's policies. She opposed budget cuts that affected women's rights and programs for people in poverty.

Her committees included:

Committee on Contracts (chair)
Committee on Education
Committee on Health
Committee on Land Use

U.S. House of Representatives

Clarke speaking at an anti-violence march in Brooklyn

Her District

Yvette Clarke's district was redrawn in 2013. It includes many neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York. Some of these are Sheepshead Bay, Brownsville, Crown Heights, and Flatbush.

Her Time in Congress

In 2007, Clarke was the only member of Congress to vote against renaming the Ellis Island Library after Bob Hope. She felt the island was more important than any single person.

She supported the Emergency Economic Stability Act in 2008. This act aimed to help the economy. In 2009, she helped pass a bill to improve how people are removed from the "No Fly List." This list identifies individuals who might be a threat to air travel.

Clarke also introduced the International Cybercrime Reporting and Cooperation Act in 2010. This bill aimed to improve how countries work together to fight cybercrime. She supported a bill to study making the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument a part of the National Park System. She said the monument reminds us to protect human rights, even during war.

In 2013, Clarke introduced the Homeland Security Cybersecurity Boots-on-the-Ground Act. This bill aimed to improve the cybersecurity workforce at the United States Department of Homeland Security. It also asked for a plan to hire and train more cybersecurity experts.

Committee Work

In Congress, Yvette Clarke serves on important committees:

Committee on Energy and Commerce (Vice Chair)
- This committee deals with energy, technology, and trade.
Committee on Small Business
- This committee focuses on issues affecting small businesses.
Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation (Chair)
- This committee works on protecting computer systems and important infrastructure.

Groups She Belongs To

Clarke is part of several groups in Congress called caucuses. These groups bring together members of Congress who share common interests.

Congressional Black Caucus (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
Congressional Arts Caucus
Medicare for All Caucus
Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment

Her Views on Important Issues

Israel

Clarke supports a two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This means creating two separate states for Israelis and Palestinians. She has voted on issues related to the Gaza and the Iran nuclear deal. In 2015, she decided to vote for the Iran nuclear deal, believing it could stop Iran from making a nuclear bomb. She also attended Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress. In 2023, she voted to support Israel after an attack.

Budget and Taxes

Clarke has generally opposed laws that cut government spending and taxes. She has received ratings that show she supports more liberal economic policies. She voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

Environment

Clarke supports efforts to fight climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. She has opposed laws that prioritize economic interests over protecting the environment. She supports laws that increase conservation and regulate the energy industry. Environmental groups like Environment America and the League of Conservation Voters have given her high ratings. She strongly disagreed with the Trump administration's decision to leave the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Immigration

Clarke believes in immigration reform. She supports creating a way for undocumented immigrants to become citizens. She also wants to shift resources away from strict enforcement. She voted for the DREAM Act, which would help young undocumented immigrants. Clarke praised the DACA program, which protects young immigrants. She has also called for extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants and for the abolition of ICE.

Syria

In 2023, Clarke voted to direct President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria.

Technology

Clarke has worked on laws related to technology. In 2019, she helped introduce the Algorithmic Accountability Act. This bill would give the Federal Trade Commission more power. It would also make companies study if their technology has biases based on race or gender. She also introduced the Deepfakes Accountability Act. This bill aims to protect national security from deepfake technology and help victims of harmful deepfakes. In 2022, she asked for more information on how to improve security for federal computer networks.

In the Media

In 2012, Yvette Clarke appeared on Colbert Report. During a segment, she was asked what she would change if she could go back to 1898. She answered the abolition of slavery. When asked about it later, her representative said her comments were meant as a joke.

2016 Presidential Election

Clarke supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2016. She voted for Clinton as a superdelegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Political Campaigns

Yvette Clarke (right) with fellow congresswomen Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio (left) and Laura Richardson of California (center)

In 2004, while on the New York City Council, Clarke first ran for Congress. She ran against Major Owens, for whom she had interned in college. Her mother had also run against Owens in 2000. Clarke lost the primary election in 2004.

2006 Election

After Owens decided not to run again, Clarke announced she would run for Congress in 2006. She won the Democratic nomination in September 2006. In the general election in November, Clarke was elected to the House of Representatives. She won with 89% of the vote.

Later Elections

Clarke was reelected by large margins in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. In 2012, she defeated Sylvia Kinard in the Democratic primary. In 2018, she won a close primary election against Adem Bunkeddeko. She then won the general election. In 2020, she faced a four-way Democratic primary and won.