Yvette Clarke

Yvette D. Clarke

Democratic Party

U.S. House New York District 9

Tenure

2013 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

12

Predecessor

Bob Turner

Prior offices

New York City Council

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U.S. House New York District 11

Successor: Michael Grimm

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

(2012) $105,003.50

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Oberlin College

Personal

Religion

African Methodist Episcopal

Profession

Economic Development Specialist

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Yvette D. Clarke (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing New York's 9th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2013. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Clarke (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 9th Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Clarke was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.. She attended Oberlin College from 1982 to 1986.

Prior to her election to the New York City Council, Clarke served as director of business development for the Bronx Empowerment Zone (BOEDC).

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Clarke's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2013-Present: U.S. Representative from New York's 9th Congressional District
• 2007-2013: U.S. Representative from New York's 11th Congressional District
• 2000-2007: Member of the New York City Council
• 1992-1993: Executive assistant, New York state Workers’ Compensation Board
• 1989-1991: Staff, state Senator Velmanette Montgomery
• 1982-1986: Attended Oberlin College

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2025-2026

Clarke was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade
• Communications and Technology
• Oversight and Investigations

2023-2024

Clarke was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Communications & Technology
• Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Minerals
• Innovation, Data, and Commerce
• Committee on Homeland Security
• Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability

2021-2022

Clarke was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Homeland Security
• Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations
• Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation, Chair
• Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Communications and Technology
• Consumer Protection and Commerce
• Environment and Climate Change

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Clarke was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Committee on Ethics

2015-2016

Clarke served on the following committees:

• Energy and Commerce Committee
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Ethics Committee

2013-2014

Clarke served on the following committees:

• Homeland Security Committee
  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
• Small Business Committee
  • Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce
• United States House of Representatives Committee on Ethics

2011-2012

Clarke served on the following committees:

• Homeland Security Committee
  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management
• Small Business Committee
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, and ended on January 3, 2025. At the start of the session, Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Nay	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (310-118)
Nay	To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.   H.R. 185 (To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to nullify a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order restricting the entry of foreign citizens to the United States unless the individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus or attested they would take public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (227-201)
Nay	Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023   The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to raise the federal debt limit before a June 5, 2023, deadline. The bill also sought to repeal certain green energy tax credits, increase domestic natural gas and oil production, expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and nullify President Joe Biden's (D) proposed student loan debt cancellation program. This bill was not taken up in the Senate, and the debt limit was instead raised through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-215)
Nay	Denouncing the horrors of socialism.   H.Con.Res. 9 (Denouncing the horrors of socialism.) was a resolution approved by the House of Representatives denouncing socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (328-86)
Nay	Lower Energy Costs Act   The Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to increase domestic energy production and exports by increasing the production of oil, natural gas, and coal, reducing permitting restrictions for pipelines, refineries, and other energy projects, and increase the production of minerals used in electronics, among other energy production-related policies. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (225-204)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (219-200)
Nay	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (229-197)
Nay	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (314-117)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)	Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote   In January 2023, the House of Representatives held its regular election for Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th Congress. Voting began on January 3, and ended on January 7. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House in a 216-212 vote during the 15th round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212)
Yea	Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.   H.Res. 757 (Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as Speaker of the House. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (216-210)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)	Speaker of the House election (October 2023) - 4th vote   In October 2023, following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) removal as Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives held another election for the position. Voting began on October 17 and ended on October 25. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House in a 220-209 vote in the fourth round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209)
Nay	Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.   H.Res. 918 (Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that formally authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden (D). The inquiry focused on allegations that Biden used his influence as vice president from 2009 to 2017 to improperly profit from his son Hunter Biden's business dealings. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (221-212)
Yea	Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.   H.Res. 878 (Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office following a House Ethics Committee investigation that determined there was substantial evidence that Santos violated the law during his 2020 and 2022 campaigns. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (311-114)
Yea	The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023   The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R. 82) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on January 5, 2025, that reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who received other pensions from state or local governments. It also eliminated an offset that would reduce benefits for spouses and widows of individuals with government pensions. It also eliminated a provision that reduced benefits for an individual who received a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (327-75)
Nay	Secure the Border Act of 2023   The Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2) was passed by the U.S. House on May 11, 2024. This bill would have introduced limits to asylum eligibility and required employers to use electronic verification of employee's legal eligibility to work. This bill required a simple majority vote.	Passed (219-213)
Nay	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024   The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 (H.R. 4366) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 9, 2024, authorizing appropriations for various government departments for the fiscal year 2024. The bill required a majority vote to pass.	Passed (219-211)
Yea	Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024   The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024) was a bill passed by the U.S. House on January 31, 2024, that would have modified the U.S. tax code, increasing how much money can be given back in credits and what is exempt. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (357-70)
Nay	Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025   The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (H.R. 8070) was passed by the U.S. House on June 14, 2024. The bill would have modified defense spending in the fiscal year 2025. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (217-199)
Nay	Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023   The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090) was passed by the U.S. House on May 1, 2024. This bill made it so the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights could have the authority to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism when investigating cases of discrimination. This bill required a simple majority vote to pass.	Passed (320-91)
Yea	FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024   The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R.3935) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 16, 2024, that reauthorized Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding until fiscal year 2028. The bill also made other modifications to address various department-related issues. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (387-26)
Nay	Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act   The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act (H.R. 9495) was passed by the U.S. House on November 21, 2024. The bill would have postponed U.S. tax deadlines for citizens who were wrongfully detained abroad. This bill required a simple majority to pass.	Passed (219-184)
Nay	Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   H.Res.863, Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors, passed the U.S. House on February 13, 2024. The resolution impeached U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (D) for high crimes and misdemeanors. The motion to impeach required a majority in the House and a 2/3rds vote in the Senate.	Passed (214-213)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025   H.R.9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, was passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 26, 2024, providing funding to federal agencies, including the Secret Service, and federal programs for the 2025 fiscal year. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (341-82)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 Vote Bill and description Status Yea Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (228-206) Yea American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-210) Yea Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-207) Yea Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act   The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana, establish studies of legal marijuana sales, tax marijuana imports and production, and establish a process to expunge and review federal marijuana offenses. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (220-204) Yea For the People Act of 2021   The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was a federal election law and government ethics bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Congressional Research Service said the bill would "expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It [would also limit] removing voters from voter rolls. ... Further, the bill [would address] campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices." The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-210) Yea Assault Weapons Ban of 2022   The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that sought to criminalize the knowing import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCAFD). The bill made exemptions for grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs. It required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (217-213) Nay National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (363-70) Nay James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 2/3 majority in the House to suspend rules and pass the bill as amended. Passed (350-80) Yea American Dream and Promise Act of 2021   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was an immigration bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure, among other immigration-related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (228-197) Yea Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (342-88) Yea Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (243-187) Yea Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (218-211) Yea SAFE Banking Act of 2021   The SAFE Banking Act of 2021 (H.R. 1996) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting federal regulators from penalizing banks for providing services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses and defining proceeds from such transactions as not being proceeds from unlawful activity, among other related proposals. Since the House moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill in an expedited process, it required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Passed (321-101) Yea Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (260-171) Yea Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system, among other related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (224-206) Yea Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (258-169) Yea Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (230-201) Yea Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act   The Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 7688) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit individuals from selling consumer fuels at excessive prices during a proclaimed energy emergency. It would have also required the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the price of gasoline was being manipulated. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (217-207) Yea Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit the transfer of firearms between private parties unless a licensed firearm vendor conducted a background check on the recipient. The bill also provided for certain exceptions to this requirement. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (227-203) Yea Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-203) Yea Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (234-193) Yea Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. The article of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (232-197) Yea Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (225-201) Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021 The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021 Vote Bill and description Status Nay Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020   The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives seeking to increase the cap on employment-based visas, establish certain rules governing such visas, and impose some additional requirements on employers hiring holders of such visas. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. Passed (365-65) Yea The Heroes Act   The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $1,200 payments to individuals, extending and expanding the moratorium on some evictions and foreclosures, outlining requirements and establishing finding for contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, providing emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies for fiscal year 2020, and eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (208-199) Yea For the People Act of 2019   The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to protect election security, revise rules on campaign funding, introduce new provisions related to ethics, establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, and establish new rules on the release of tax returns for presidential and vice presidential candidates. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (234-193) Yea CARES Act   The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Passed (419-6) Yea Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity by expanding the definition of establishments that fall under public accomodation and prohibiting the denial of access to a shared facility that is in agreement with an indiviual's gender indenitity. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (236-173) Yea Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House that sought to ban firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (240-190) Yea American Dream and Promise Act of 2019   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to protect certain immigrants from removal proceedings and provide a path to permanent resident status by establishing streamlined procedures for permanant residency and canceling removal proceedings against certain qualifed individuals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (237-187) Nay National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (377-48) Yea Families First Coronavirus Response Act   The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Passed (363-40) Yea Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019   The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 1994) was a bill passed by the House Representatives that sought to change the requirements for employer provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts by modfying the requirements for things such as loans, lifetime income options, required minimum distributions, the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill also sought to treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, increase penalties for failing to file tax returns, allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted, and expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs may be used. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (417-3) Yea Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act   The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to address the price of healthcare by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs, requiring drug manufactures to issue rebates for certain drugs covered under Medicare, requiring drug price transparency from drug manufacturers, expanding Medicare coverage, and providing funds for certain public health programs. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (230-192) Yea Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020   The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (297-120) Yea Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019   The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (S. 1838) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on November 27, 2019, directing several federal departments to assess Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. Key features of the bill include directing the Department of State to report and certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment, and directing the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Passed (417-1) Yea MORE Act of 2020   The MORE Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana by removing marijuana as a scheduled controlled substance and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. This bill required a simple majority vote from the House. Passed (228-164) Yea Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020   The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 6, 2020, providing emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Key features of the bill include funding for vaccine research, small business loans, humanitarian assistance to affected foreign countries, emergency preparedness, and grants for public health agencies and organizations. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill. Passed (415-2) Nay Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 15, 2019, providing approrations for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (300 -128) Yea John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act   The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Doanld Trump on March 12, 2019. This bill sought to set provisions for federal land management and conservation by doing things such as conducting land exchanges and conveyances, establishing programs to respond to wildfires, and extending and reauthorizing wildlife conservation programs. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Passed (363-62) Nay William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (On passage)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto. Passed (335-78) Nay William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Overcoming veto)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto. Passed (322-87) Yea Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019   The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (S.24) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 16, 2019, that requires federal employees who were furloughed or compelled to work during a lapse in government funding to be compensated for that time. The bill also required those employees to be compensated as soon as the lapse in funding ends, irregardless of official pay date. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill. Passed (411-7) Yea Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 1)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. Guilty (230-197) Yea Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 2)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. Guilty (229-198) Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)  Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Nay on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))  Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program. Voted Nay on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)  Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018 Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border. Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018 Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Voted Nay on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)  Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Nay on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)  Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017 Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally. Voted Nay on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)  Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017 Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws. Voted Nay on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017 Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Nay on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Nay on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Nay on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)  Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018 Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)  Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)  Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)  Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018. Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)  Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Nay on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.) Voted Nay on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. Voted Nay on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)  Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017 Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)  Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017 Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. Voted Nay on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)  Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017 Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017 Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Nay on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)  Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities Voted Nay on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. Voted Nay on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017 Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. Voted Nay on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)  Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017 Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)  Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)  Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. Voted Nay on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017 Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority. Voted Nay on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)  Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017 The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Clarke's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Clarke was one of 144 Democrats to vote against the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Clarke was one of 157 Democrats to vote against the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining his or her original position on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Clarke was one of 158 Democrats to vote against the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Clarke was one of 175 Democrats to vote in favor of HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Clarke voted with 142 other Democrats and eight Republicans against the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Clarke voted with 48 other Democrats and nine Republicans against the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, including Clarke, voted against the resolution. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Clarke voted with 186 Democrats and 79 Republicans in favor of the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Clarke voted with 176 Democrats to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Clarke voted with 161 Democrats for the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Clarke voted with 185 Democrats against the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Clarke voted with 185 Democrats against the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Clarke voted with 185 Democrats and 127 Republicans in favor of the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Clarke voted with 40 Democrats and 47 Republicans against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Clarke voted with 179 Democrats against the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Clarke voted with 134 Democrats and 220 Republicans to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Clarke voted with 104 Democrats and 202 Republicans in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Clarke voted with 134 Democrats and two Republicans against the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Clarke's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security HR 644 See also: Bowe Bergdahl exchange On September 9, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 644, a resolution condemning President Barack Obama's act of exchanging five Guantanamo Bay prisoners for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The House voted 249-163 for resolution, with all Republicans and 22 Democrats supporting the bill. Fourteen Democrats and five Republicans did not vote on the resolution, while all other Democrats opposed its passage. Clarke did not vote on the resolution. NDAA Clarke voted in opposition of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. DHS Appropriations Clarke voted in opposition of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines. Keystone Pipeline Amendment Clarke voted in favor of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) Clarke voted in support of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. Economy Farm Bill See also: United States Farm Bill 2013 Clarke voted against the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote. The bill passed included farm policy, but did not include food stamps. King Amendment Clarke signed a letter sent to Collin Peterson in August 2013, asking him to keep Steve King's amendment out of the final Farm Bill. The "Protect Interstate Commerce Act" amendment prevents states from applying their own laws on agricultural products to agricultural products from another state. King introduced the amendment in response to a law in California, requiring a larger size cage for egg-producing chickens. King represents Iowa, which is a large egg producer. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Clarke voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Clarke voted for HR 2775. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Clarke voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Repealing Obamacare Clarke has voted against all attempts to repeal or delay the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Social issues Abortion Clarke voted against HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Clarke voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. She was 1 of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Elections

2024

See also: New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2024

New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Democratic primary)

New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House New York District 9

Incumbent Yvette D. Clarke defeated Menachem Raitport in the general election for U.S. House New York District 9 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvette D. Clarke (D)	73.5	173,207
		Menachem Raitport (R / Conservative Party)	25.5	60,064
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	2,501

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 235,772
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joel Anabilah-Azumah (Independent)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Yvette D. Clarke advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Menachem Raitport advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joel Anabilah-Azumah (R)

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Menachem Raitport advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Clarke in this election.

2020

See also: New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2020

New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Republican primary)

New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House New York District 9

Incumbent Yvette D. Clarke defeated Constantine Jean-Pierre, Gary Popkin, and Joel Anabilah-Azumah in the general election for U.S. House New York District 9 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvette D. Clarke (D / Working Families Party)	83.0	230,221
		Constantine Jean-Pierre (R / Conservative Party)	15.9	43,950
	Submit photo	Gary Popkin (L)	0.6	1,644
		Joel Anabilah-Azumah (Serve America Movement Party)	0.4	1,052
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	381

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 277,248
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Judith Goldiner (Working Families Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 9

Incumbent Yvette D. Clarke defeated Adem Bunkeddeko, Isiah James, Chaim M. Deutsch, and Lutchi Gayot in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 9 on June 23, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvette D. Clarke	54.2	52,293
		Adem Bunkeddeko	24.7	23,819
		Isiah James	10.4	10,010
		Chaim M. Deutsch	9.7	9,383
		Lutchi Gayot	0.9	843
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	142

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,490
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Hiller (D)
• Alexander Hubbard (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Constantine Jean-Pierre advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Constantine Jean-Pierre advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Gary Popkin advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Serve America Movement Party primary election

The Serve America Movement Party primary election was canceled. Joel Anabilah-Azumah advanced from the Serve America Movement Party primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Judith Goldiner advanced from the Working Families Party primary for U.S. House New York District 9.

Endorsements

To see a list of endorsements for Yvette Clarke, click here.

2018

See also: New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House New York District 9

Incumbent Yvette D. Clarke defeated Lutchi Gayot and Joel Anabilah-Azumah in the general election for U.S. House New York District 9 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvette D. Clarke (D)	89.3	181,455
		Lutchi Gayot (R)	10.3	20,901
		Joel Anabilah-Azumah (Reform Party)	0.4	779

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 203,135 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 9

Incumbent Yvette D. Clarke defeated Adem Bunkeddeko in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 9 on June 26, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvette D. Clarke	53.0	16,202
		Adem Bunkeddeko	47.0	14,350

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 30,552
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 9

Lutchi Gayot advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 9 on June 26, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Lutchi Gayot

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Earl Blum (R)

Reform Party primary election

Reform Party primary for U.S. House New York District 9

Joel Anabilah-Azumah advanced from the Reform Party primary for U.S. House New York District 9 on June 26, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Joel Anabilah-Azumah

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: New York's 9th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Yvette Clarke (D) defeated Alan Bellone (Conservative) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced any opposition in the primaries on June 28, 2016.

U.S. House, New York District 9 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvette Clarke Incumbent	92.4%	214,189
	Conservative	Alan Bellone	7.6%	17,576
Total Votes				231,765
Source: New York Board of Elections

2014

See also: New York's 9th Congressional District elections, 2014

In 2014, Clarke won re-election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 9th District. Clarke ran unopposed for the Democratic and Working Families Party nominations in the primary on June 24, 2014. She defeated Daniel Cavanagh (Conservative) in the general election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, New York District 9 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvette Clarke Incumbent	89.3%	82,659
	Conservative	Daniel Cavanagh	10.5%	9,727
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.2%	183
Total Votes				92,569
Source: New York State Board of Elections, NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

2012

See also: New York's 9th Congressional District elections, 2012

Clarke won re-election in 2012, but due to New York's redistricting, she ran in the newly redrawn 9th District. Attorney Sylvia Kinard challenged Clarke in the June 26 Democratic primary. Clarke won the primary and defeated Daniel Cavanagh (R) and Vivia Morgan (G) in the general election on November 6, 2012.

President Barack Obama backed Clarke. He said that Clarke had worked "to give a voice to the voiceless, whether it was improving educational opportunity for children, expanding access to healthcare for women in need, or helping small businesses expand and add new jobs."

U.S. House, New York District 9 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvette Clarke Incumbent	87.2%	186,141
	Republican	Daniel Cavanagh	11.3%	24,164
	Green	Vivia Morgan	1.4%	2,991
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.1%	135
Total Votes				213,431
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed September 1, 2021

U.S. House, New York District 9 Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Yvette Clarke Incumbent	88.3%	11,903
Sylvia Kinard	11.7%	1,584
Total Votes		13,487

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Yvette Clarke, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Yvette D. Clarke won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Hugh C. Carr (R) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 11 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Yvette D. Clarke incumbent 90.5% 104,297      Republican Hugh C. Carr 9.4% 10,858      N/A Write-in votes 0% 44 Total Votes 115,199 2008 On November 4, 2008, Yvette D. Clarke won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Hugh C. Carr (R) and Cartrell Gore (Conservative) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 11 General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Yvette D. Clarke incumbent 92.7% 168,562      Republican Hugh C. Carr 6.4% 11,644      Conservative Cartrell Gore 0.8% 1,517      N/A Write-in votes 0% 17 Total Votes 181,740 2006 On November 7, 2006, Yvette D. Clarke won election to the United States House. She defeated Stephen Finger (R), Marianna Blume (Conservative) and Ollie M. McClean (Freedom Party) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 11 General Election, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Yvette D. Clarke 77.6% 88,334      Republican Stephen Finger 6.5% 7,447      Conservative Marianna Blume 1.2% 1,325      Freedom Party Ollie M. McClean 0.9% 996      N/A Blank/Void/Scattering 13.8% 15,710 Total Votes 113,812

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Yvette D. Clarke did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Yvette D. Clarke completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Clarke's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Yvette D. Clarke and I am a proud public servant. Following in the footsteps of my mother before me, I have committed my life to protecting the interests of others and lending my voice to those who have struggled to be heard for so long. If re-elected, I pledge to continue this work by fighting for the progressive future that will give the federal government the means it needs to best protect the people most in need.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The affordable housing crisis has created an unprecedented level of economic anxiety for millions of Americans struggling to find affordable solutions. As the last 40 years have proven, the private market does not have the capacity to provide the solutions that the general public needs to thrive in this increasingly demanding economy. Because only the federal government has both the scale and the lack of a profit motive necessary to provide affordable housing for all of those that need it, we must leverage the development power of the federal government to make sure Americans can afford safe, quality homes.
• No one in the United States should have to go through life without healthcare insurance or risk financial ruin because of medical debts. Put plainly, denying people the healthcare coverage that acts as a prerequisite to preserving their right to life denies their basic human dignity. We have a responsibility to move towards a Medicare for All system that does not allow anyone to fall through the cracks.
• No matter how much Trump may try, the United States will not abandon its roots as a nation of immigrants. The American Experiment has always been defined by the constant struggle necessary to help make a nation of immigrants as social cohesive as possible - a struggle that matters now more than ever. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have worked tirelessly to protect the undocumented and their families from undue persecution at the hands of the federal government and will continue to do so if re-elected.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

In keeping with my legislative priority of protecting constituents against domination and exploitation, I am most concerned with the policy areas that most often undermine the ability for individuals to participate freely in the American system. Specifically, I focus my legislative agenda on issues that have created structural inequities throughout the American public. Housing and healthcare policy in particular sit at the intersection between individual freedoms and collective responsibility. Without access to affordable housing solutions, we doom families to lives defined by economic precarity that incentivizes dangerous decisions that undermine the likelihood of personal success in life. Similarly, healthcare policy impacts every American and has historically had an outsized impact on their ability to participate in the economy free from domination. As the former leading cause of personal bankruptcy, anything less than a Medicare for All system will continue to make households vulnerable to financial ruin due to a single hospitalization. Finding innovative solutions in these two policy areas would largely reorient the American economy providing considerably more opportunity for those that have historically been denied a chance at upward mobility.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I proudly look up to the black women who have come before me as public servants in Brooklyn. My mother first sparked my interest in public service acting as a living example of the innumerable benefits to serving others. Watching her serve our community allowed me to grow up in an environment that expected proactive engagement as a minimum requirement in life. Similarly, watching the great Shirley Chisolm provide an example to the limitless potential for black women inspired me to do everything I can to do the same for other little black girls around the world. In a society that all too often looks down upon people that look like you and villianizes the features you see in the mirror every day, it becomes easy to feel inadequate, less than for any number of reasons. Congresswoman Chisolm showed me and so many others that even if they do not invite you to take a seat at the table, you have a responsibility to bring your own folding chair to make your voice heard.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

With the primary responsibility of promoting the interests of their constituents, the most important characteristic for an elected official to have is the ability to listen to people. If a representative does not proactively seek out the opinions and concerns of their constituents, they cannot hope to effectively do their job in Washington. Similarly, elected officials must have the ability to speak truth to power without the fear of retribution or political fallout. Failure to speak truth to power almost categorically leads to institutional corruption by making it easier to adopt the conventional wisdom of the moment rather than forge a new path forward. If you cannot stick to your principles in the face of political opposition, you cannot effectively advocate for your constituents interests.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

By definition, the primary job of any elected official is the advocate for the interests of their constituents. For a congressional representative, they have the dual responsibility of directly servicing constituents by aiding them in their interactions with the federal government as well as promoting a vision for the country that supports their interests. As a member from a more progressive district that will likely safely remain in Democratic hands for the foreseeable future, I also have the added mandate of defining a progressive future that can win over the American public. Taken together, this would allow the nation to move forward in a more progressive direction promoting a more equitable society.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

More than any other institution in government, when properly incentivized and insulated from the corrupting influence of monied interests, the House of Representatives does genuinely have the capacity to reflect the will of the American people. In a world of highly scientific data collection, it becomes increasingly difficult to have confidence in a select group of individuals to gauge public opinion. Considering the abysmal approval rating of the legislative boy, it comes as no surprise that many would question Congress' commitment to promoting the interests of the general public. However, when operating as intended no other institution has a similar singular responsibility to act to promote the interests of the American public.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Government experience is beneficial for representatives if for no other reason than that legislating is at the end of the day a job. Like any other job, especially one as removed from other industries as public service, working in government requires mastering skills specific to working in government. On the congressional level, this includes not only the parliamentary specifics of a given chamber but also identifying the pressure points necessary to promote actioning your agenda. While the basic interpersonal skills that make a representative give at their job can be developed away from Capitol Hill, it would be difficult to understand how to effectively navigate Congress without having first hand experience doing so.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

In the aftermath of the Trump Administration, the United States will face the immediate existential challenge of determining our commitment to the rule of law. Trump's tenure in office amounted to an ongoing, relentless assault on the fundamental principle that no one exists above the law in the United States. In the last few months, after he survived the last constitutional check that stood in his way, Trump has made this assault absolute by firing a flurry of inspector generals to insulate his administration from oversight of any kind. We will need to work hard to codify the many protections against corruption that have historically been upheld by tradition alone.

Beyond this immediate crisis, we will also need to begin to take the hard steps necessary to stem the tide of climate change. In order to avoid the worst, irreversible damage that climate change will cause, we must begin now to reorganize our society to meet the scope of this challenge. We will need to allocate trillions of dollars to retrofit buildings, upgrade our power grid to accommodate renewables, and make our nation's infrastructure more climate resilient. If we do not begin to accumulate the public and institutional support necessary to take these seismic steps, we will doom ourselves to a slow moving oblivion that saps the vitality from our society over time.

If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?

My current committees allow me to have the most amount of say on issue areas closest to the hearts of my constituents. Energy & Commerce has the most expansive jurisdiction of any House committee overseeing agencies as disparate as the FTC and HHS. Maintaining legislative jurisdiction over such an expansive committee gives me the opportunity to voice the concerns of my constituents on a large swath of issues that might have a direct impact on their lives that might otherwise go undiscussed. Similarly, the Homeland Security Committee has jurisdiction over an issue of outsized importance in my district: immigration. With one of the largest foreign-born populations in the district with many members of the Caribbean Diaspora in particular, my membership on the Homeland committee gives me a voice on the issues that dictates my constituent's ability to live comfortably in their own homes and interact with their loved ones abroad.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Two years give representatives the ability to work diligently towards legislative goals that they may have while the periodic spectre of elections helps mitigate the possibility of institutional corruption.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I am not necessarily opposed to the idea of using term limits as a method of ensuring no one can ingratiate themselves so deeply in government that they can begin to change the rules to further entrench their power. However, in a large legislative body such as ours it seems unlikely if not impossible that anyone can secure the undue amount of power necessary to thoroughly entrench themselves in offices. If they continue to serve the interests of their constituents leading to their consistent reelection, I believe that long-tenured members can provide the institutional knowledge necessary to facilitate the legislative process.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I try to model my work in office after my predecessor representing the 9th District area of Brooklyn - Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm. Unbowed and unbossed, Shirley Chilsom always put the interests of her constituents first and refused to allow anyone to silence her. Whenever necessary, regardless of the potential political costs of her actions, she never failed to stand up for the less fortunate and less powerful leveraging her position to the benefit of so many others. I hope to live by this example of exemplary leadership through public service every day.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Yvette D. Clarke completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Clarke's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1) Comprehensive Immigration Reform 2) Affordable Housing 3) Women's Issues

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1) Immigration reform 2) Cybersecurity 3) Issues concerning women and girls

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, vision, empathy and love of public service.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Representing the interests of the constituents they represent. Putting the needs of the community above that of special interests. Showing up and fighting for the issues that mean the most to constituents and their families.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2012

Clarke listed the following campaign themes on her website:

• Increase rent assistance from HUD to low and moderate income households
• Expand and preserve public housing programs
• Ease the credit crunch affecting current and prospective homeowners
• Pass an economic stimulus plan
• Provide tax-relief for the middle-class and small businesses
• Help promote business opportunities, especially for women and minorities
• Reform and fully fund No Child Left Behind
• Provide 21st training for teachers and school administrators
• Increase funding for college education
• Invest more resources in safeguarding America’s infrastructure
• Improve the communication system for first responders
• Reform the center that oversees the terrorist watch list
• Reform immigration policy in the spirit of the American Dream
• Uphold the American tradition of an open border
• Stop deporting the parents of citizens, leaving them orphaned
• Work with the Obama Administration to accomplish the goals of the recent Immigration Policy Change.
• Preserve the freedom to organize
• Improve workplace safety
• Protect workers from the effects of a changing economic climate

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Yvette D. Clarke campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House New York District 9	Won general	$1,108,984	$1,061,634
2022	U.S. House New York District 9	Won general	$796,961	$805,877
2020	U.S. House New York District 9	Won general	$1,215,129	$1,205,205
2018	U.S. House New York District 9	Won general	$1,092,047	$1,111,543
2016	U.S. House, New York District 9	Won	$662,740	N/A**
2014	U.S. House (New York, District 9)	Won	$624,079	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Yvette D. Clarke

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Robin Kelly  source  (D)	U.S. Senate Illinois (2026)	Primary	–
Kamala D. Harris  source  (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Lost General
Jamaal Bowman  source  (D, Working Families Party)	U.S. House New York District 16 (2024)	Primary	Withdrew in General
Hillary Clinton  source  (D)	President of the United States (2016)	Primary	Lost General

Noteworthy events

American response in Syria

See also: United States involvement in Syria

On August 29, 2013, 53 House Democrats signed a letter written by California Rep. Barbara Lee that called for a congressional resolution on strikes and said that the situation in Syria "should not draw us into an unwise war—especially without adhering to our constitutional requirements." The letter also called on the Obama administration to work with the U.N. Security Council to build international consensus condemning the alleged use of chemical weapons. Clarke was one of the 53 Democrats in the House to sign the letter.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Clarke's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $35,007 and $175,000. That averages to $105,003.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Clarke ranked as the 380th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2007 and 2012, Clarke's calculated net worth increased from $0 to $105,003. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Yvette Clarke Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2007	$0
2012	$105,003
Growth from 2007 to 2012:	N/A
Average annual growth:	N/A
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Clarke received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Building Trade Unions industry.

From 2003-2014, 22.02 percent of Clarke's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Yvette Clarke Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$3,235,824
Total Spent	$3,122,487
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Building Trade Unions	$169,950
Public Sector Unions	$164,451
Lawyers/Law Firms	$141,410
Health Professionals	$125,927
Real Estate	$110,785
% total in top industry	5.25%
% total in top two industries	10.33%
% total in top five industries	22.02%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Clarke was a far-left Democrat as of August 2014. This was the same rating Clarke received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Clarke most often votes with:

• Janice Schakowsky
• Chris Gibson

Clarke least often votes with:

• Jim Matheson
• Jeff Duncan

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Clark missed 368 of 6,889 roll call votes from January 2007 to September 2015. This amounted to 5.3 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Clarke paid her congressional staff a total of $1,056,244 in 2011. Overall, New York ranked 28th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, Clarke was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Clarke's staff was given an apparent $36,375.20 in bonus money.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Clarke ranked 59th in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Clarke ranked first in the liberal rankings in 2012.

2011

Clarke ranked 26th in the liberal rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Clarke voted with the Democratic Party 94.3 percent of the time, which ranked 60th among the 204 House Democratic members as of August 2014.

2013

Clarke voted with the Democratic Party 93.9 percent of the time, which ranked 92nd among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Clarke currently resides in the neighborhood where she grew up, the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.

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U.S. House New York District 9

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bob Turner (R)	U.S. House New York District 9 2013-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	U.S. House New York District 11 2007-2013	Succeeded by Michael Grimm (R)
Preceded by -	New York City Council 2000-2007	Succeeded by -

[show]

New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Laura Gillen (D)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

George Latimer (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Josh Riley (D)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

John Mannion (D)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Tim Kennedy (D)

Democratic Party (21)

Republican Party (7)