url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/republicans-to-hold-congressional-forum-in-fresno-january-25th-to-examine,Republicans to Hold Congressional Forum in Fresno January 25th to Examine Resolving the San Joaquin Valley Water Crisis,2009-12-14,2009,2009-12,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee today announced that they will hold a congressional forum on resolving the San Joaquin Valley water crisis in Fresno, California on Monday, January 25, 2010. Further details including time, location and meeting format will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

“There is no time to waste on reversing the plight of the San Joaquin Valley,” said Water and Power Subcommittee Ranking Republican Tom McClintock (CA-04). “Time and again, we have asked the Democrat Majority to hear the concerns of residents and to act immediately to turn the water pumps back on. The only response has been a newspaper account that a field hearing will be held on water recycling in southern California. While 40,000 people are unemployed, communities literally dry up and the water pumps stand idle. The Pelosi-led Congress is not listening and has not taken action, and a message needs to be sent that someone is listening, so we have been forced to hold this forum on our own. This water crisis impacts everyone and we welcome the input of Democrats, Republicans and Independents.”

“This forum is necessary in order to hear firsthand from the people and communities impacted by the man-made drought,” said Full Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04). “There are serious problem with our Nation’s environmental laws that prioritize fish over people. This is evident when one of the most fertile agricultural areas is importing food from China to feed the needy. If it can happen in California, it can happen anywhere and that’s why it’s important for Congress to travel to the Valley.”

Background

Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom McClintock and other Republican members have repeatedly called on the Democrat majority to hold a field hearing in the San Joaquin Valley on California’s water crisis:

McClintock Statement on Democrats’ Proposed Southern California Field Hearing on Water Crisis (12/4/09)

Water and Power Subcommittee Ranking Republican McClintock Requests Field Hearing on California Drought (10/27/09)

McClintock letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall and Water and Power Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano requesting a field hearing on the California drought (10/26/09)

Letter from Representatives George Radanovich, Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy requesting a field hearing on the man-made California drought (6/4/2009)",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:22Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/spring-internship-opportunity,SPRING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY,2009-12-10,2009,2009-12,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"The office of Congressman Tom McClintock (R-CA-04) is seeking interns to begin in January 2010 and continue until May 2010 in the Washington, DC office. This internship is unpaid. College credit, if applicable, will be provided. The ideal candidate would work three full days a week or more. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to Kimberly Unitt-Zupkus at kim.unitt-zupkus@mail.house.gov with “Spring Internship” in the subject line.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:22Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-mcclintock-announces-constituent-town-hall-meeting-in-auburn,Congressman McClintock Announces Constituent Town Hall Meeting in Auburn,2009-12-01,2009,2009-12,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"December 1, 2009

When: Saturday December 5

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Where: E.V Cain Middle School, 150 Palm Avenue, Auburn

What: Town Hall Meeting",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:22Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-mcclintock-announces-constituent-meeting-in-truckee,Congressman McClintock Announces Constituent Meeting in Truckee,2009-11-23,2009,2009-11,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"U.S. Representative Tom McClintock today announced he will hold a meeting with constituents on November 30 in Truckee.

When: Monday, November 30, 2009

1:00 PM

Where:

Truckee Town Council Chambers

10183 Truckee Airport Road",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:19Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-mcclintock-announces-next-town-hall-meeting-in-lincoln,Rep. McClintock Announces Next Town Hall Meeting in Lincoln,2009-11-13,2009,2009-11,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"U.S. Representative Tom McClintock (R-Granite Bay) today announced he will hold a town hall meeting with constituents November 14th in Lincoln.

When:

Saturday November 14th

10:00am

Where:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:19Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/joint-water-and-powerenergy-and-minerals-subcommittee-hearing-on-getting,"Joint Water and Power/Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Hearing on ""Getting Past Gridlock: Models for Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission""",2009-11-05,2009,2009-11,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"When I was named ranking member on the Water and Power Sub-Committee in July, I noted that up until the last generation, the purpose of federal water and power policy was to create an abundance of both. And I noted that in recent years, abundance has been replaced with the rationing of shortages as the principal objective of federal policy.

I warned that: “The result is increasingly expensive water and power that is now affecting our prosperity as a nation. We’re no longer looking at cost-benefit analyses of which projects make economic sense and which do not. Instead, practicality has been replaced by an entirely new ideological filter: those projects that ration or manage shortage are considered worthy regardless of feasibility or cost – and projects that produce abundance are to be discouraged regardless of their economic benefits or simple common sense.”

Today’s hearing illustrates this difference of policy dramatically.

Although the stated goal of this hearing is to relieve gridlock, the underlying agenda is to promote a so-called “green transmission system” – meaning facilities that limit transmission to sources that the majority finds ideologically pleasing – principally wind and solar – and that exclude electricity the majority finds ideologically displeasing – principally hydroelectric, coal, and nuclear.

Never mind that wind and solar are the two most expensive ways we have yet invented to generate electricity. Never mind that hydroelectric, coal and nuclear are the least expensive – and two of those (hydroelectric and nuclear) produce exactly ZERO air emissions.

Thus, the sub-committees charged with the responsibility of producing abundant power for the United States will spend much of this hearing seriously discussing setting up an entirely duplicative transmission system solely for ideologically preferred sources of electricity and to the exclusion of all others.

But even this discussion becomes academic in the face of obstruction and opposition by the environmental left – both in Congress and in the Courts – to federally designated transmission corridors that will help bring more energy to our electricity grid.

At a time when our nation needs to build 32,000 miles of lines over the next five years, we cannot afford to block energy generation and transmission projects because they aren’t socially acceptable in San Francisco or the West Coast.

If you want to see where all this leads, look to California, whose consumers now pay the highest electricity prices in the continental United States.

In 1970, California produced 62% of its energy. By 2006, it imported 62% of its energy.

Three years ago, the city of Truckee was about to sign a long-term contract for electricity purchased from a new, state-of-the-art, EPA-approved coal-fired power plant in Utah. It was forced to abandon this contract because the power was not ideologically acceptable -- even to be imported. The replacement power now costs Truckee consumers nearly twice as much.

If this folly is imposed nationally, it will have disastrous consequences to the economy and to the quality of life of the people of our nation for generations to come.

Finally, I need to note that the environmental left has not only devastated California’s once-abundant energy capacity, it has produced an unprecedented water crisis by the deliberate diversion of 200 billion gallons of water from Central Valley agriculture for the enjoyment and prosperity of the Delta Smelt.

I have been told that this is the last Water and Power Subcommittee hearing for this year. That’s bad news for 40,000 unemployed San Joaquin Valley workers who have urgently asked Congress to turn the Delta pumps back on. It is also bad news for families across America who will see their grocery prices rise as a result of the destruction of a half-million acres of the most fertile and productive agricultural land in the nation.

I asked last week if we could hear directly in the field from all those impacted by the policy of this government, I have yet to receive a reply. Nevertheless, we appear to have plenty of time today to talk about “greening” our grid.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:19Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/latest-stimulus-data-congressional-district-4,Latest Stimulus Data Congressional District 4,2009-10-30,2009,2009-10,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Latest stimulus data:

Total stimulus spending in 4th CD: $163,877,376.

Total jobs created: 112.09.

Total spent per job: $1,462,016.02.

Source: U.S. Government, Recovery.gov

https://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/Pages/home.aspx",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:16Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-water-and-power-subcommittee-oversight-hearing-on-water-management-and,"House Water and Power Subcommittee - Oversight Hearing on ""Water Management and Climate Variability: Information Support at the USGS and Bureau of Reclamation""",2009-10-27,2009,2009-10,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Opening Statement, The Honorable Tom McClintock, Ranking Republican, House Water and Power Subcommittee. Oversight Hearing on “Water Management and Climate Variability: Information Support at the USGS and Bureau of Reclamation.""

October 27, 2009

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

Today’s hearing is described as an oversight hearing on “water management and climate variability.” That’s an interesting concept, insofar as the only constant in earth’s climatology is change. Just within the brief period of recorded human history, we know of periods when the earth’s climate has been much warmer than it is today and others when it has been much cooler. We know, for example, during the Medieval Warm Period from 900 to 1300 AD, that wine grapes were grown in Northern Britain and Newfoundland and that the temperature in Greenland was warm enough to support a prosperous agricultural economy for nearly five hundred years. We also know that during the Roman Warm Period from 200 to 600 AD, North Africa was wet enough to support bountiful grain production. In the second century AD, Ptolemy recorded year-round precipitation throughout the Mediterranean.

We also know that there were other periods when the earth’s climate was much cooler than it is today. During the Little Ice Age, from 1300 through 1850, the Thames River and New York Harbor regularly froze over. Indeed, during the Little Ice Age, a wave of religious zealotry swept Europe blaming witchcraft for the dramatic climate changes of the era.

Given the constant variability of the earth’s climate, proper water management requires accurate and abundant data, and I certainly applaud any effort to assure that in planning for our future needs we do so with the scientific data necessary to make informed decisions.

I just want to be sure that it is science and not ideology that is driving the effort.

That’s why I get a little nervous watching, for example, how the Secure Water Act was rushed through this house. Without any debate or dialogue or hearings on this side, it was dropped into a 1,216 page omnibus bill that could not even be amended.

Under the guise of the Secure Water Act, the Bureau of Reclamation recently announced a new “River Basin Study Program” that will – quote – “better define options for future water management of Western river basins…”

The use of the term, “future water management” has raised concerns by many western water users that this is a program whose purpose is not to produce reliable data but rather to search for ways to justify increasingly Draconian restrictions on water usage. What we need is an open assessment of the most viable, economical and certain options of assuring an abundance of water for the people of these regions from the natural resources that we enjoy.

If the warming trend that began in 1850 and peaked in 1998 resumes, then the need for more dams and aqueducts will become acute. I submitted a series of questions to the Bureau of Reclamation to clarify the intent of these studies and I have yet to receive answers. The Bureau’s silence heightens concerns that this is a solution in search of data to support it rather than a search for data that will illuminate a solution.

Madam Chairwoman, I have mentioned before that the minority party believes that it should be the principal object of the federal government’s water policy to assure abundance. The purpose of data collection and management should serve this objective – and not to justify cutting off water to users, rationing water shortages, or imposing wildly expensive recycling or desalination projects at a time when a renewed commitment to public works would produce a new abundance of clean cheap and abundant water.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:16Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-mcclintock-calls-for-congressional-field-hearing-on-california-water,Rep. McClintock calls for Congressional Field Hearing on California Water Crisis,2009-10-26,2009,2009-10,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"U.S. Representative Tom McClintock (CA-04 Granite Bay) the ranking member of the House Water and Power Subcommittee today called for a Congressional field hearing on California’s water crisis.

The full text of the letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall and House Water and Power Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano requesting the hearing is attached.

Text of letter requesting hearing:

October 26, 2009

Chairman Nick Rahall

House Natural Resources Committee

Chairwoman Grace Napolitano

House Water and Power Subcommittee

I write to respectfully request that the House Water and Power Subcommittee hold a field hearing in California to resolve the water crisis impacting the San Joaquin Valley, all of California, and our nationwide food supply. This letter follows two attached earlier requests from our colleagues that have been met with silence.

The Natural Resources Committee has held just one oversight hearing this year on California-specific water issues. That hearing precluded testimony from non-governmental witnesses, which is why many of our colleagues asked for a field hearing which could have included testimony from impacted farming operations, small businesses, individuals and environmental groups. Further, the only recent opportunity to hold a hearing on the matter is being supplanted with a hearing on water data management.

Meanwhile, this government’s decision to divert hundreds of billions of gallons of water has led to massive unemployment for tens of thousands of families, fallowing on an unprecedented scale, and imported food supplies from China to what used to be the breadbasket of America. The situation remains unacceptable and has many wondering if Congress has abdicated its responsibility while communities face economic extinction.

The time to act was quite a few months ago, but Congress can still seize the opportunity in time for next year’s planting season. A hearing should include diversified testimony and the goal should be immediate solutions to bring the unemployed back to work by delivering water once again to the fields. It is simply wrong to waste any more time on stifling meaningful action to bring 40,000 people back to work. I stand ready to work with you on this vitally important effort. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Tom McClintock",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:16Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/legislation-to-name-portola-post-office-after-fallen-soldier-approved-by,Legislation to Name Portola Post Office After Fallen Soldier Approved by House of Representatives,2009-10-21,2009,2009-10,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"McCleery was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas and was deployed to Iraq. On May 2, 2009, McCleery was shot and killed at a combat outpost in Hammam Alil, Iraq, north of Baghdad.

“Specialist McCleery gave his life in service of his country,” Rep. McClintock said. “ The naming of the post office in Portola as the Army Specialist Jeremiah Paul McCleery Post Office Building will memorialize his service and sacrifice for all Americans and the people of Portola.”

The measure was cosponsored by every member of California’s congressional delegation.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate.

Below are Rep. McClintock’s remarks in support of the legislation:

Rep. McClintock’s Floor Speech

HR 3319 Jeremiah P. McCleery Post Office

House Chamber, Washington, D.C.

October 20, 2009

Mr. Speaker:

This bill names the Post Office in Portola, California in honor of Army Specialist Jeremiah Paul McCleery, who grew up in that town, and who returned to it as a fallen hero at the age of 24.

His best friend was his father, Joe. A high school friend, Josh Rodgers was asked when Jeremiah was happiest. He replied, “Whenever he was doing anything with his dad.” When Jeremiah was four years old, his Dad took him to Twentynine Palms to welcome the triumphant return of American soldiers from the first Gulf War. As Shakespeare wrote, “This story shall the good man teach his son.”

It was from that moment in 1991 that Jeremiah wanted more than anything to serve his country.

Joe and Collette McCleery moved their family to the little town of Portola in 1996, where they built their home themselves – as a family. And it was in Portola where Miah McCleery grew up.

If you want a sense of the character of this young man, just spend a few minutes with those who knew him.

His older sister Lynette Flanagan tells of how Miah would take on much older bullies at school – not in his own defense, but in defense of others. She said “He once got sent to the principal's office for getting into a fight. When my mother arrived at school, Jeremiah was not sorry for his actions. He explained with pride that he stood up to a bully who had slapped a little girl. Jeremiah was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in, even if that would get him in trouble. It didn't matter if a bully was twice his size- he wouldn't back down.”

Jeremiah was a Boy Scout, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and planned to enlist in the Army as soon as he graduated from Portola High School in 2004.

But that year his mother, Collette, was diagnosed with cancer. He stayed until she died. Then in 2007, he enlisted.

When his sister, Chastity, begged him not to go, he said that he felt by going into the military, he was protecting his family.

He was an exemplary soldier who commanded the friendship and respect of his colleagues. While at Fort Hood, he became close friends with another Californian, Jake Velloza, and they shipped out to Iraq together.

He had fallen in love with Amanda Harazin while stationed at Fort Hood. Amanda is known as “A-J” to her friends, but Jeremiah called her the “Love of his life.” They were to have been married on May 30th.

But on May 2nd, outside of Mosul, Iraq, at a Combat Outpost in Hammam Alil, American soldiers were attacked by two gunmen wearing Iraqi Police uniforms. Two U.S. soldiers – Jeremiah McCleery and his best friend, Jake Velloza -- were killed in that attack and three others were wounded.

On May 14th – the day before he was supposed to return to a happy homecoming and impending marriage – Jeremiah McCleery returned to his hometown to be buried beside his mother. The local paper described the scene with these words, which speak volumes about the community which helped to mold this American hero:

“Across the Sierra Valley people lined the highway, some with their hands over their hearts as a mark of respect. In Portola, streets were lined with flag-waving citizens. Shop owners left their stores to join in, temporarily suspending business as usual.”

M. Speaker, I wanted to share a little of what I’ve learned about Jeremiah McCleery, because it helps to answer the question that James Michener first asked: “Where do we get such men?”

We get them from the heart and soul of America. From good and decent families like the McCleerys. We get them from little towns like Portola, California.

Over the summer, I had the honor to visit the men and women who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The painstaking care and the meticulous precision with which these young men and women discharge their duties – in withering heat and in freezing cold – 24 hours a day – is legendary.

I asked them why they do it. And one of them told me, “We do it to tell our country that we will never forget.”

For that reason I bring this bill to the House today, with the unanimous support of the Portola City Council, and the entire California Congressional Delegation and the community that watched Jeremiah McCleery grow from a boy to a man and ultimately to return as a hero. We ask that the Congress name the local post office in honor of Army Specialist Jeremiah Paul McCleery, to tell our countrymen that we will never forget.

And also to express our awe and gratitude that humanity has within itself a small band of brothers like Jeremiah McCleery who step forward not for treasure or profit nor even to defend their own freedom, but rather to win the freedom of a people half a world away. And they do it because their country asks them and because it is virtuous and noble.

We owe these men and their grieving families a debt that we can never repay, except to honor their memory and keep their sacrifice always in mind – those who gave up everything “To proclaim liberty throughout all the land, and unto all the inhabitants thereof.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:16Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/town-hall-meetings-0,TOWN HALL MEETINGS,2009-10-09,2009,2009-10,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Representative McClintock Announces Town Hall Meetings in Plumas and Sierra Counties:

Monday, Oct. 12, 12:00 PM, Chester, Plumas County, Memorial Hall, 225 Gay Street and

Monday, Oct. 12, 5:00 PM, Downieville, Sierra County, Community Hall, 327 Main Street",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:16Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/opening-statement-house-committee-on-natural-resources-september-30-2009,"Opening Statement House Committee on Natural Resources September 30, 2009",2009-09-30,2009,2009-09,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the three Water and Power Subcommittee bills before us today.

These are all bills to settle water rights claims made against the federal government by various Indian tribes. These come with a hefty price tag: $577 million, with assignment of rights to over 110,000 acre feet of water. There are hundreds of such claims that are likely to follow.

It is important that these claims be settled. They involve some of the oldest standing litigation in the federal court system. They establish something that the people of their regions – both on and off reservation – have lacked, and that is a certainty about future water rights and apportionments.

But here is what has troubled me in my brief tenure as Ranking Member of your Water and Power subcommittee.

These are settlements of outstanding litigation involving the United States Government. It seems to me that the only relevant question is whether these settlements are advantageous to the government compared to its likely liability under current law.

If we were the board of directors of a private corporation deciding whether to approve a negotiated legal settlement, we would be guilty of breaching our fiduciary responsibility to stockholders if we made that decision without consulting legal counsel.

The administration has expressed reservations about all of these bills, and that should be a warning to us. What troubles me most is that we have been unable to get a straight answer to the most important question at issue, and that is, “Do these settlements exceed the likely liability of the government if these claims went to court?”

Or to be more blunt, are we cutting our losses or are we giving away the store? I can’t get a straight answer to that question.

The three well-intentioned bills before us today are prime examples of what’s gone wrong. This Administration – and I might add, the last Administration – have repeatedly testified that they cannot support funding levels in these settlements, yet they fail to provide Congress basic answers or consistency when we ask for alternative funding amounts or whether the bills are beneficial to the American taxpayer.

As a result, Congress is being forced to choose a funding amount in the dark and without an informed opinion from our legal counsel. In essence, we are a blind-folded arbitrator.

I’m new around here, but I spent 22 years in the California legislature, many of them on the relevant committees that heard settlement bills. The central testimony in all of those settlements was from the Attorney General’s office – as our legal counsel. They would appear before us and testify that in their professional legal judgment the settlements were justified under current law and that the state’s liability and legal costs could potentially exceed the settlement if the matter went to trial.

This is the one critical issue that has not been addressed for these bills.

I asked this question in committee and didn’t get an answer. Last week I sent a letter asking the Departments of Justice and the Interior asking for their assessment of the government’s liability and haven’t received an answer.

I think this is a reasonable request and one that should be answered to the satisfaction of this committee and the House before these bills are acted upon.

There is precedent for such opinions, based upon the Department of Justice testimony in 1994 before this Committee on the Colville settlement. There, Peter Steenland, a Clinton Justice Department official testified: “the Federal government is not that well postured for a victory on this claim which has been pending for over 40 years. Absent the settlement, we could well litigate it for another 10 years and the outcome could easily be a significant cost to the taxpayers and the public.”

If the Clinton Administration could give Congress a straight answer, then there’s no reason why the current one can’t.

There’s a simple word for this. Transparency. We’re assured this is a guiding principle of the administration. We truly need some in this case if we are to do our jobs competently, and do justice to both sides in these claims.

Before these bills come to the House floor, I hope that we will get the answers everyone deserves.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:14Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lake-clementine-update,Lake Clementine Update,2009-09-24,2009,2009-09,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Representative Tom McClintock’s office learned today that Lake Clementine will remain open through fiscal year 2010, and that the Bureau of Reclamation will continue to fund and manage recreation and land use at the lake through that time.

Below is a letter to Auburn Mayor Jim Holmes. Representative McClintock will continue to press for a lasting solution that will keep Lake Clementine open.

Letter from Representative McClintock to Mayor Mike Holmes:

September 25, 2009

Mayor Mike Holmes

City of Auburn

1225 Lincoln Way

Auburn, CA 95603

Dear Mayor Holmes,

I write to inform you of the decision by the Bureau of Reclamation to continue to fund and manage recreation and land use at Lake Clementine through the end of Fiscal Year 2010. I will continue to press for a lasting solution that will keep Lake Clementine open in the future. I look forward to working with you on this and other issues that benefit our constituents.

Sincerely,

Tom McClintock",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:14Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-on-water-and-power-legislation-house-natural-resources-committee,"Statement on Water and Power Legislation, House Natural Resources Committee",2009-09-10,2009,2009-09,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"September 10, 2009. Thank you Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to say what a delight it has been to work with Chairwoman Napolitano, who has given all of these bills a fair, balanced and complete hearing.

We have six Water and Power subcommittee bills before us today. They are bi-partisan and well intentioned and seek to stretch scarce water supplies throughout the Southwest. But I do have some serious concerns that need to be addressed in the near future.

A generation ago, the principal objective of our water and power policy was to create an abundance of both. It was an era when vast reservoirs and hydro-electric facilities produced a cornucopia of clean and plentiful water and electricity on a scale so vast that many communities didn’t even bother to meter.

But the last generation seems to have abandoned this objective, and to replace it with a very different philosophy that now dominates public policy: that the government’s principal focus is not to produce abundant water and power, but rather to ration shortages that government has caused by abandoning abundance as its primary objective.

The result is increasingly expensive water and power that is now affecting our prosperity as a nation. We’re no longer looking at cost-benefit analyses of which projects make economic sense and which do not. Instead, practicality has been replaced by an entirely new ideological filter: those projects that ration or manage shortages are considered worthy regardless of their feasibility or cost – and projects that produce abundance are to be discouraged regardless of their economic benefits or simple common sense.

Which brings me to the fine point of the matter. Four of these bills deal with water recycling – trying to stretch dwindling supplies rather than create new ones. The administration opposed these bills and was honest and candid in pointing out that we have already authorized 53 such projects without the funds to finance them, producing a $624 million backlog. The bills before us today add another four projects to the waiting list and another $110 million to the backlog. And yet still there’s no process for prioritizing.

My biggest concern is that these four recycling bills will cost from a low of $980 per acre foot to a high of $5,400 per acre foot and this is simply not fiscally rational or fiscally sustainable.

I don’t believe it is fair to oppose these bills today since there hasn’t been a standardized framework with which to judge them. These bills have been in the process for some time and there aren’t any similar bills behind them.

But I do want to ask that after this batch of projects is added to a growing backlog of unfunded and fiscally questionable recycling projects that we establish a rational standard for cost-benefit analysis for all future measures. I believe it can be as simple as requiring the Bureau of Reclamation to certify that the project is the least expensive alternative before federal funds may be released.

Since we are approving these bills on a bi-partisan basis today I would hope that we can work together in a bi-partisan manner to assure that we’re not mandating cost-prohibitive water recycling programs just because we like the general idea with no concern about the actual cost.

Finally, we have two non-related bills introduced by Mr. Matheson of Utah which I whole-heartedly support. One, HR 2008 clears the way for a 50 megawatt hydropower project. The other, HR 2950 allows the Uintah Water District to prepay its obligations to the federal treasury. This is in the interest of the District that can be relieved of interest costs and regulatory burdens. It is also in the interest of the nation, at a time when it is running a catastrophic deficit.

My only concern is this should take an act of Congress. I would hope that the law can be broadened to allow any district in similar circumstances to prepay federal loans or other obligations without having to beg Congress for special approval to do so.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:14Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/town-hall-meetings,TOWN HALL MEETINGS,2009-08-24,2009,2009-08,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"IMPORTANT NOTE: CAMERON PARK TOWN HALL HAS BEEN MOVED DUE TO ANTICIPATED CROWD SIZE.

Now held at Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs 3661 Ponderosa Road, 4:30 p.m September 5.

Representative McClintock Announces Town Hall Meetings

Sept. 1, 6:00 pm

Granite Bay/Roseville

Granite Bay High School Gym

1 Grizzly Way

Sept 3rd 5:00 pm

Susanville

Jensen Hall, Lassen County Fair Grounds

Sept. 4, 6:00 pm

Grass Valley

Veterans Hall, 255 S. Auburn St

Note: The Cameron Park Town Hall meeting has been moved from the Cameron Park Community Center to a new location: The meeting will be held at:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:12Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/mcclintock-names-congressional-page,McClintock Names Congressional Page,2009-08-04,2009,2009-08,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC – Congressman Tom McClintock has selected Claire Mars of Alta Sierra, California as his nominee to the 2009 Fall Congressional Page Program. Mars, a sixteen year old junior at William & Marian Ghidotti High School, will serve as a page in the U.S .House of Representatives for the fall semester which runs from late August 2009 through January 2010.

“I’m very excited to be selected as a Congressional page,” Mars said. “I hope to learn a lot more about how the Congress works, and meet new friends from all around the nation.”

Mars, who was homeschooled for four years currently attends Ghidotti High School, has been actively involved in various sports, clubs, leadership activities, and volunteer programs. Mars will attend classes at the Library of Congress and will ring bells for attendance in the House, raise and lower the flag above the Capitol, and serve as legislative messenger in her duties as a page.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:12Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/opening-statement-on-hr-3200-healthcare-committee-on-labor-and-education,"Opening Statement on H.R. 3200 (Healthcare), Committee on Labor and Education",2009-07-15,2009,2009-07,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"July 15, 2009. Mr. Chairman: As we begin deliberations on this measure, we need to be mindful that the law of unintended consequences is beyond the jurisdiction of the Congress, and needs to be considered carefully.

This proposal affects the lives of every American, and ought to be approached with a high degree of humility and caution.

As imperfect as the current system is, it is well within our power to make it a great deal worse.

A mistake here could place burdens on employers at a particularly vulnerable time for our economy, resulting in millions more Americans without health insurance – or jobs.

A mistake here could result in the loss of health coverage for millions of Americans who currently have it and are satisfied with it as private insurers are unable to compete with the heavily subsidized public plan and go out of business.

A mistake here could produce a further implosion of the economy as high taxes send more investors and capital offshore. That was one of the critical mistakes that Herbert Hoover made by boosting upper income taxes in the Emergency Relief and Construction Act of 1932.

Even the Washington Post – hardly a bastion of conservatism – warned today that quote “There is no case to be made for the House Democratic majority’s proposal to fund healthcare legislation through an ad hoc income tax surcharge for top-earning households.”

The supporters of this legislation are correct that health care costs have skyrocketed and need to be brought under control. No one doubts that. But I hope the majority will understand that many of us are skeptical that the same government that pioneered $500 hammers and $1,000 toilet seats is somehow going to keep our health care costs down.

We all know from our own experience that a hallmark of bureaucracy is the waiting list. Waiting lists at the post office and the DMV are merely annoying and inconvenient. Waiting lists at our doctor’s offices and hospitals can be fatal.

I hope the majority will give sincere consideration to the alternative offered by Republicans to take the same tax advantages that we currently give to businesses to provide health care for their employees, and extend those same benefits to the employees themselves – so that every family through tax credits and vouchers – on a sliding income scale – can have within their reach a basic health plan that they can choose according to their own needs, that they can own regardless of their employer, and that they can change if it fails to meet their needs.

By restoring control to families over their own healthcare choices – we can preserve the best of our current system and avoid the tragedy of socialist regimes while at the same time bringing genuine, consumer-choice-driven competition that will keep costs down, choices plentiful, and quality high.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:07Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-tom-mcclintock-named-lead-republican-on-the-water-and-power-subcommittee,Rep. Tom McClintock Named Lead Republican on the Water and Power Subcommittee,2009-07-09,2009,2009-07,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) today named Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-04) as the new Ranking Member of the Water and Power Subcommittee. McClintock will take over the position from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) who was recently selected to serve as Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee on the Education and Labor Committee.

“Rep. McClintock has shown tremendous dedication and leadership on a number of natural resources issues,” said Ranking Member Hastings. “As California faces a severe water crisis, it is more important than ever to have leaders in Congress, like McClintock, who understand the importance of having access to a stable and abundant water supply, especially for our agriculture and rural communities. I’m confident that McClintock will be a strong advocate for water users in California and throughout the West.”

“I’m honored to have been named as the ranking Republican on the Water and Power sub-committee of the House Natural Resources Committee,” said Rep. McClintock. “There is now a great debate in Congress over whether government will merely ration shortages that it has created or whether it will return to its traditional goal of promoting abundance through the development of our nation’s vast water and hydroelectric resources. This debate is of critical importance to the quality of life and prosperity of our nation and I am looking forward to taking an active role in it.

“I’m also grateful for Rep. McMorris Rodgers’ service on this Subcommittee,” continued Hastings. “As a senior Member of our Committee, she will continue advancing issues important to Eastern Washington and the Pacific Northwest.”

The Subcommittee on Water and Power is responsible for matters concerning America’s water resources, generation of electric power from federal water projects and interstate water issues. Republicans on the Subcommittee are devoted to promoting low-cost, clean, renewable and emissions-free hydroelectricity generated by federal dams and reservoirs. Republicans are also working to improve federal government regulations to ensure projects are less expensive, more transparent and not delayed by unnecessary red tape.

CONTACT: Emily Lawrimore or Jill Strait, Resources Committee

202-226-2311

Bill George or Jennifer Cressy, Congressman Tom McClintock's Office 916-786-5560",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:07Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/special-order-speech-on-cap-and-trade,Special Order Speech on Cap and Trade,2009-06-26,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"I had a strange sense of Deja Vu as I watched the self-congratulatory rhetoric on the house floor tonight, and I feel compelled to offer this warning from the Left Coast.

Three years ago, I stood on the floor of the California Senate and watched a similar celebration over a similar bill, AB 32. And I have spent the last three years watching as that law has dangerously deepened California’s recession. It uses a different mechanism than Cap and Trade, but the objective is the same: to force a dramatic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Up until that bill took effect, California’s unemployment numbers tracked very closely with the national unemployment rate. But then in January of 2007, California’s unemployment rate began a steady upward divergence from the national jobless figures. Today, California’s unemployment rate is more than two points above the national rate, and at its highest point since 1941.

What is it that happened in January of 2007? AB 32 took effect and began shutting down entire segments of California’s economy. Let me give you one example from my district. The City of Truckee, California was about to sign a long-term power contract to get its electricity from a new, EPA-approved coal-fired electricity plant in Utah. AB 32 and companion legislation caused them to abandon that contract. The replacement power they acquired literally doubled their electricity costs.

So when economists warn that we can expect electricity prices to double under the cap and trade bill, I can tell you from bitter experience that in my district, that’s not a future prediction, that is an historical fact.

Gov. Schwarzenegger assured us that AB 32 would mean an explosion of new, green jobs -- exactly the same promises we’re hearing from cap and trade supporters. In California, exactly the opposite has happened. We have lost so many jobs that the UCSB economic forecast is now using the D-word – Depression – to discuss California’s job market.

M. Speaker, the Cap and Trade bill proposes what amounts to endlessly increasing taxes on any enterprises that produce carbon dioxide or other so-called greenhouse gas emissions. We need to understand what that means. It has profound implications for agriculture, construction, cargo and passenger transportation, energy production, baking and brewing – all of which produce enormous quantities of this innocuous and ubiquitous compound. In fact, every human being produces 2.2 pounds of carbon dioxide every day – just by breathing.

So applying a tax to the economy designed to radically constrict carbon dioxide emissions means radically constricting the economy.

And this brings us to the fine point of it.

When you discuss the folly of the Hoover Administration – how it turned the recession of 1929 into the depression of the 1930’s, the first thing that economists point to is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act that imposed new taxes on over 20,000 imported products.

Waxman Markey is our generation’s Smoot Hawley. In fact, it’s worse because it imposes new taxes on an infinitely larger number of domestic products on a scale that utterly dwarfs Smoot-Hawley.

Let’s ignore for the moment the fact that the planet’s climate is constantly changing and that long term global warming has been going on since the last ice age. Let’s ignore the fact that within recorded history we know of periods when the earth’s climate has been much warmer than it is today and others when it has been much cooler. Let’s ignore the thousands of climate scientists and meteorologists who have concluded that human-produced greenhouse gases are a negligible factor in global warming or climate change.

Ignore all of that and still we are left with one lousy sense of timing. In the most serious recession since the Great Depression – why would members of this house want to repeat the same mistakes that produced that Great Depression? Watching how California has just wrecked its economy and destroyed its finances, why would they want to do the same thing to our nation?

M. Speaker, this is deadly serious stuff. It transcends ideology and politics. This House has just made the biggest economic mistake since the days of Herbert Hoover.

If this measure becomes law, two things are certain.

First, our planet will continue to warm and cool as it has been doing for billions of years.

Second: Congress will have delivered a staggering blow to our nation’s economy at precisely that moment when that economy was the most vulnerable.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-mcclintock-to-accept-applications-for-congressional-page-program,Congressman McClintock to Accept Applications for Congressional Page Program,2009-06-23,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Congressman Tom McClintock has been chosen by Republican Leader John Boehner to select a Congressional Page for the Fall 2009 program.Applicants must be juniors or seniors in high school, and must be at least 16 years of age at the time employment begins, but may not have reached the age of 18 during any point of the term. Applicants must also have a cumulative grade point average of “B” (3.0) or higher in the following subjects: English, foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies (excluding electives) with official supporting transcript documentation required. Applicants must complete the entire application, which also includes a resume detailing extra-curricular activities, an essay, and three letters of recommendation. Applications must be submitted by July 20th.

Congressional Page duties include filing the Congressional Record, delivering legislative materials to locations throughout Capitol Hill, and attending to Members’ needs on the House floor as directed. The fall session runs from August 30, 2009 to January 22, 2010. Currently sixty-six Pages serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, making this a distinct honor for young Americans who are selected.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/response-to-article,Response to Article,2009-06-17,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Editor; Roseville Press Tribune:

The Roseville Press Tribune recently published an article by Jon Brines that quotes a local official accusing me of hypocrisy for proposing critically needed highway projects in the district for inclusion in the annual transportation authorization bill after taking a strong stand against “earmarks.”

The practice I have strongly condemned and am fighting to stop in Congress is the insertion of appropriations without public vetting or competition and that typically directs those funds to specific recipients.

The local projects that I have proposed for funding in the pending transportation bill – interchanges in Roseville, Placerville and Nevada City and the Lincoln bypass – bear no relation to this practice. This bill sets aside a portion of the annual transportation authorization to assure that every Congressional district receives funding according to specific criteria. I added additional standards in evaluating competing local government requests to assure they met the Citizens Against Government Waste earmark reform pledge that I signed during the 2008 campaign. The effect of a congressman not nominating projects in this act doesn’t reduce the bill’s spending one cent – it merely redistributes those funds to other districts. I explained this in great detail to Mr. Brines.

The reporter goes on to quote Kathryn Mathews of the El Dorado Transportation Commission as saying that “We’ve been told McClintock would not entertain any project period. Then two days before the requests were due to be submitted we got a call saying, ‘go ahead and submit them if you want.’” I have never told Ms. Mathews or anyone else that I would not consider legitimate infrastructure projects and have accepted proposals from local agencies from the outset. In fact, Ms. Mathews submitted her project requests more than two weeks before the projects were due.

Mr. Brine’s article illustrates the difference between the journalistic tradition of “All the news that’s fit to print,” and “All the news that fits.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-mcclintock-statement-on-camino-sawmill-closure,Rep. McClintock Statement on Camino Sawmill Closure,2009-06-11,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Today's closure of the Camino mill is one more blow to hard-working middle class Californians. At a time when government is spending unprecedented amounts of money it doesn't have and taking over industry after industry, private sector jobs are disappearing. Camino now joins Quincy and Sonora as mountain towns that have each lost 150 direct and 350 indirect jobs due to litigation over forest thinning operations. As the sawmills disappear, the threat of catastrophic wild fires grows stronger.

In order to examine the regulatory and legal issues that have led to the closure of the mills, I held a community forum May 11 in Quincy with Rep. Wally Herger and Rep. Rob Bishop, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Forests and Public Lands. That led to a June 11th Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands hearing in Washington where union officials, industry executives and foresters testified.

The information gathered will be used as the basis for legislation that we are developing to rein in the out-of-control lawsuits that decimated these communities.

News 10 Story On the Mill Closure",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-support-of-plumas-county-deputy-shawn-webb,In Support of Plumas County Deputy Shawn Webb,2009-06-10,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"House Chamber, Washington, D.C. June 10, 2009. M Speaker:

I rise today to honor Deputy Shawn Webb of the Plumas County Sheriff’s Department.

The entire Sheriff’s Department, joined by the people of Plumas County, are rallying behind this remarkable young man and his family as he battles a difficult illness.

You don’t see this kind of outpouring very often these days. It’s a testament to the impact that Deputy Shawn Webb has had on his Department and his community.

Shawn’s Commander writes “we here in Plumas County are blessed to have a ‘grade A’ California-raised true blooded American Hero.”

So I rise to salute the bravery and dedication that Deputy Shawn Webb has brought to his professional life in protecting our community – qualities now so conspicuous in the battle he is waging in his personal life.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/fourth-congressional-district-arts-award-winners-acknowledged,Fourth Congressional District Arts Award Winners Acknowledged,2009-06-04,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Representative Tom McClintock presented certificates to the winners of the Fourth Congressional District Congressional Arts Competition in Placerville May 29. Eric Harrod, a senior at South Tahoe High School, was awarded first place with his entry, “Kokanee Salmon”.

“Kokanee Salmon”, was created on location at Taylor Creek, South Lake Tahoe, during salmon spawning. Eric will receive three roundtrip airfares to attend the 2009 Congressional Arts Competition Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception to be held in Washington, D.C. on June 24, 2009.

Shari Warden, who also attends South Tahoe High, took second place and April Dimmick of Auburn received third place. Honorable Mention was given to Eneida Sanchez of South Lake Tahoe.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/mcclintock-vitter-introduce-raise-act-to-reform-collective-bargaining,"McClintock, Vitter Introduce RAISE Act to Reform Collective Bargaining Process",2009-06-04,2009,2009-06,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"June 4, 2009

Contact: Joel DiGrado (202) 224-4623

Jennifer Cressy (202) 503-7930",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:15:00Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/fourth-congressional-district-arts-award-winners-announced,Fourth Congressional District Arts Award Winners Announced,2009-05-21,2009,2009-05,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Tom McClintock is pleased to announce that a winner has been chosen for the Fourth Congressional District Congressional Arts Competition. Eric Harrod, a senior at South Tahoe High School, was awarded first place with his entry, “Kokanee Salmon”.

Eric’s artwork, “Kokanee Salmon”, was created on location at Taylor Creek, South Lake Tahoe, during salmon spawning. Eric will receive three roundtrip airfares to attend the 2009 Congressional Arts Competition Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception to be held in Washington, D.C. on June 24, 2009. “I am very pleased with the variety of talent in this contest,” said McClintock.

Shari Warden, who also attends South Tahoe High, took second place and April Dimmick of Auburn received third place. Honorable Mention was given to Eneida Sanchez of South Lake Tahoe.

The competition was held at PlacerArts in Auburn under the guidance of Director Angela Tahti and Program Specialist Shawn Baldwin. Judges Kevin Hanley, Auburn City Council; Deb Jensen, El Dorado Arts Council; Larry Ortiz of PlacerArts; and Penel Curtis of Nevada County Arts Council had the honor of selecting the winner. “I genuinely appreciate the commitment, time and expertise that all of these capable people brought to this competition,” McClintock concluded.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:27Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-mcclintock-to-lead-community-forum-in-quincy-may-11-on-the-human-cost-of,Rep. McClintock to Lead Community Forum in Quincy May 11 on the Human Cost of Environmental Over-Regulation,2009-04-29,2009,2009-04,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"April 29, 2009. U.S. Representative Tom McClintock (R-Granite Bay) announced today he will lead a community forum in Quincy on May 11, focusing on the human cost of environmental over-regulation.

The forum will be held May 11 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Tulsa E. Scott Pavilion at the Plumas County Fairgrounds.

Rep. Wally Herger and Rep. Rob Bishop, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Forests and Public Lands will participate on the panel.

In 1992, Congress passed the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Restoration Act, promoting forest tree-thinning to prevent massive wildfires in eight Northern California counties. Nine lawsuits and at least 157 timber sale appeals have blocked efforts by the Quincy Library Group to manage the forests. As a result, large forest fires have plagued the area for years and decimated the livelihood of local residents. Earlier this year, Sierra Pacific Industries announced the closure of its sawmill in Quincy, California because regulatory and litigation costs now exceed SPI’s profit margin. As a result, 150 jobs have been lost in Quincy – a town of 450 families.

“There is nothing more damaging to the ecosystem of a forest as well as to the livelihood of nearby residents than a forest fire,” McClintock said. “I look forward to examining the testimony of those involved in the effort to re-establish responsible forest management practices in order to outline a solution to remove the obstacles in their path.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:25Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/mcclintock-bill-would-allow-banks-to-immediately-pay-back-tarp-funds-to,McClintock Bill Would Allow Banks to Immediately Pay Back TARP Funds to Taxpayers,2009-04-21,2009,2009-04,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"April 21, 2009. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Granite Bay) today introduced legislation that allows banks to immediately pay back Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds to the U.S. Treasury. Banks which were pressured to accept TARP funding are now facing serious obstacles, uncertainty and continued government control in their efforts to return the funds to taxpayers.

“It is a travesty that banks seeking to repay taxpayer money should be prohibited from doing so after taxpayers were promised that repayment would be made as soon as humanly possible,” McClintock said.

The bill is narrowly written to amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to unconditionally and immediately accept such repayments, and does not otherwise interfere with existing regulations of the banking system.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:25Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/opening-statement-resources-committee-hearing-on-california-drought,Opening Statement Resources Committee Hearing on California Drought,2009-04-03,2009,2009-04,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Longworth House Office Building. March 31, 2009. M. Chairman: On behalf of my constituents I want to thank the committee for holding a hearing today on California's water crisis.

I think we need to be very clear that although the drought is a catalyst, the underlying problem is not an act of God but rather acts of government.

It has been estimated that roughly half of California's current water supply is consumed to meet various environmental regulations, most of which began in this very room.

These laws are not only squandering half of our existing water supply; they are blocking the construction of long-overdue projects like the Auburn Dam.

My district, in Northeastern California is the headwaters for the mighty Sacramento River – a considerably larger watershed than the Colorado.

Yet, we store 70 million acre-feet on the Colorado and only 10 million acre-feet on the Sacramento.

The end result is that the most water-rich region of California is plagued by water shortages so severe that many of my communities are in Stage 1, 2 and 3 drought alerts.

And this, despite a relatively wet winter that has restored our reservoirs to near normal levels. It seems that God has done his part – now it is up to government to restore this water to protect the quality of life of the endangered human populations in this region.

People are suffering, the economy is suffering, and we have the ability to relieve this suffering. I look forward to hearing testimony today and discussing some common-sense solutions to this government-created problem.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:25Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/remarks-at-the-folsom-road-bridge-opening-ceremony,Remarks at the Folsom Road Bridge Opening Ceremony,2009-03-28,2009,2009-03,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"March 28, 2009. Remarks at the Folsom Road Bridge Opening Ceremony. This is more than a bridge – it is a monument to those who fought so hard and so long to bring it to fruition.

The new Folsom Road Bridge should be nicknamed “The Bridge to Somewhere,” replacing a vital transportation link in our region for the 18,000 commuters who have struggled daily between El Dorado County and South Placer County since the closure of the Folsom Dam Road.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:23Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/federal-land-assistance-management-and-enhancement-act-hr-1404,"Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (HR 1404)",2009-03-25,2009,2009-03,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"House Chamber, Washington D.C. March 25, 2009. M. Chairman: I certainly support HR 1404, which would allow some flexibility in managing firefighting costs on our federal lands.

But I want to call attention to the fact that our firefighting costs would be much lower – and our revenues would be much higher – if we would restore the sound forest management practices that this Congress long ago abandoned. Instead, this Congress has embraced a radical and retrograde ideology that we should abandon our public lands to overpopulation, overgrowth and benign neglect. Bills like this one are necessitated by this folly of public policy.

A generation ago, we recognized the importance of proper wildlands management. We recognized that nothing is more devastating to the ecology of a forest than a forest fire. And we recognized that in any living community – including forests – dense over-population is unhealthy.

And so we carefully groomed our public lands, removing excessive vegetation and giving timber the room it needs to grow. Surplus timber and overgrowth were sold for the benefit of our communities. Our forests prospered and our economy prospered. And forest fires were far less numerous and far less intense than we suffer today.

Today, we are seeing the damage done to our forests and to our economy by the Luddite ideology that human beings shouldn’t touch our national resources.

My region in northeastern California has been tormented by devastating fires in the last few years. And the reason is quite simple. As one forester explained, “the excess timber is going to come out of the forests one way or the other. It is either going to be carried out or it is going to be burned out.”

A generation ago we carried it out, and it fueled prosperity throughout our region – and produced a cornucopia of revenues to the federal government.

But today, it is being burned out, fueling devastating fires that are destroying vast tracts of land and the abundance and prosperity that we once enjoyed.

The first victim of this wrong-headed policy is the environment itself. Our recent forest fires have made a mockery of all of our clean-air regulations. Those concerned about carbon dioxide might be interested in a report by scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and University of Colorado at Boulder. They estimated that a single forest fire in California in 2007 produced about 25 percent of the average monthly emissions from all fossil fuel burning throughout all of California. And anyone who has seen a forest after one of these fires knows that the environmental devastation could not possibly be more complete.

But the cost of these policies doesn’t end there. Timber is a renewable resource – if properly managed it is literally an inexhaustible source of prosperity. And yet, my region, blessed with one of the most bountiful renewable resources in the nation has been rendered economically prostrate. A region that once prospered from its surplus timber is now ravaged by fires that are fueled by that surplus timber.

In the little town of Quincy, California, (population 2,000), 150 families are about to lose their jobs because the saw mill has to shut down – environmental litigation has tied up 2/3 of their timber harvest. The company, Sierra Pacific, is also having to shut down its saw mills in Sonora and Camino, for the same reason, devastating another 300 families.

This is not environmentalism. True environmentalists recognize the damage done by overgrowth and overpopulation and recognize the role of sound forest management practices in maintaining healthy forests.

So M. Chairman, while I support this legislation, we wouldn’t need to be spending so much putting out fires – and we’d have a lot more revenue to do it with – if we would spend a little more effort on restoring sound forest management practices to our national forests.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:23Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-by-congressman-tom-mcclintock-regarding-hr-1586,Statement by Congressman Tom McClintock Regarding HR 1586,2009-03-19,2009,2009-03,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"March 19, 2009. HR 1586 would tax 90 percent of the bonuses that push an executive’s earnings above $250,000 IF his company has received more than $5 billion in federal bailout funds.

I reluctantly supported HR 1586 for a simple and singular reason: it will stop or slow the corporate bailouts that are bankrupting our country.

Until HR 1586, there has been no downside for the executives who persuaded Congress to hand them the keys to our nation’s treasury and who are now plundering it with impunity. This measure takes away the personal profit for the executives who are doing so. In addition, since the bill would not apply to any corporation that returns its bailout windfall, I believe it will be a powerful incentive for companies immediately to repay the funds that Congress should never have authorized in the first place.

I do not believe the act qualifies as a bill of attainder, as some have suggested. The measure applies to any recipients of TARP money, making no distinctions among them, in the same manner as the tax code applies separate tax treatments under a wide array of circumstances.

Nor do I believe this is a tax increase in any conventional sense since it seeks solely to recover tax revenues that are being spent for purposes other than Congress approved.

I abhor a number of aspects of this bill, starting with the fact that it is necessary at all. I believe the government bailout of failed companies is prolonging and deepening our recession and for that reason I have opposed this policy every step of the way. The only justification for this bill is that it will greatly reduce the number of companies seeking or holding government bailout subsidies.

I am also deeply concerned with the use of the tax code for purposes other than generating revenue. It is a dangerous precedent justified only by the dangerous precedent of the bailouts themselves.

I will vigorously oppose any legislation seeking to interfere with compensation decisions made by private companies with private funds. But once a company has accepted government bailout funds and begins operating with public capital, it has also invited public oversight of its decisions. And that never ends well.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:23Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/debate-on-referral-to-conference-committee-of-hr-1-stimulus-bill,Debate on Referral to Conference Committee of HR 1 Stimulus Bill,2009-02-10,2009,2009-02,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"February 10, 2009

Mme. Speaker:

Before we continue with a stimulus policy that has consistently failed to stimulate anything but government, I think the supporters of this program need to answer some very simple questions.

For example, the President himself told us yesterday that this $800 billion of new spending will produce up to four million new jobs. That comes to $200,000 per job.

Question: Why don’t we just send those four million lucky families a check for $100,000, and save half of what the President wants to spend – by his own numbers.

The President himself told audiences this weekend that the spending bill would produce a renaissance of highway, road and bridge construction.

Question: If that is the objective of this bill, why are only three percent of the funds going to that purpose?

The Congressional budget office last week noted that the current spending bill, though producing temporary relief, will incur so much long term debt as to reduce overall GDP growth over the next decade.

Question: How do we strengthen our economic future by leaving the next generation with an unprecedented debt that will take decades to pay off?

We know of many cases where massive government spending and borrowing has destroyed economies and brought down great nations – one need look no further than the old Soviet Union.

Question: When in the recorded history of civilization has massive public spending ever “stimulated” an economy? It didn’t work in Japan in the 1990’s. The Japanese call that their “lost decade.” It didn’t work in America in the 1930’s. The unemployment rate in 1939 – after nearly a decade of New Deal spending -- was the same as it was in 1931.

Mme. Speaker, history warns us that bankrupt nations don’t last very long. I suggest that before we continue with yet another round of massive spending and borrowing, we get some answers to these inconvenient questions.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:21Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-tom-mcclintock-statement-on-presidents-action-to-free-border-patrol,Rep. Tom McClintock Statement on President's Action to Free Border Patrol Officers,2009-01-20,2009,2009-01,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Representative Tom McClintock issued the following statement on President Bush’s decision to free former Border Patrol officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean from prison:

“I am very pleased that President Bush acted to rectify one of the great injustices of our time: the imprisonment of former Border Patrol officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.

Their imprisonment sent exactly the wrong message: that those on whom we count to defend the integrity of our border can be put behind bars for doing their jobs.”

Representative McClintock rose in the House last week to request pardons for the officers.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:17Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-mcclintock-urges-president-to-pardon-border-patrol-agents,Congressman McClintock Urges President to Pardon Border Patrol Agents Compean and Ramos,2009-01-15,2009,2009-01,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Remarks by Congressman Tom McClintock

House Floor

January 14, 2009

Mr. Speaker:

I rise today to express my hope that this President will not leave office before using his pardon to correct one of the great injustices of our time: the imprisonment of Border Patrol officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. They’re the officers who wounded a drug smuggler as he tried to escape. The drug smuggler got immunity; Ramos and Compean got lengthy prison sentences.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:17Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-mcclintock-honors-ronald-reagan,Congressman McClintock Honors Ronald Reagan,2009-01-14,2009,2009-01,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Congressman Tom McClintock today introduced a resolution honoring President Ronald Reagan on the 98th anniversary of his birth. The resolution recognizes the significance of President Reagan’s accomplishments, such as winning the Cold War and communicating to the American people the self-evident truths of freedom, which made a lasting impact on the United States and the world.

“Like millions of Americans I was inspired by the example that President Reagan set. The principles upon which he stood inspired people around the world to fight to bring freedom and democracy to their own nations. I am proud to author this resolution to honor the anniversary of his birth as part of the effort to keep his memory, spirit, and legacy alive,” Rep. McClintock said. “Ronald Reagan believed that the America’s strength comes from the American people and not the government. That is an important lesson that we should remember as we face the enormous challenges ahead.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:17Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-tom-mcclintock-appointed-to-resources-committee-and-education,Congressman Tom McClintock Appointed to Resources Committee and Education & Labor Committee,2009-01-12,2009,2009-01,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Congressman Tom McClintock achieved a key goal today and announced he has been appointed as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

“I have made my appointment to Natural Resources Committee a top priority because of the tremendous impact it has on our district. The 4th Congressional District is one of the most resource-rich districts in the United States,” McClintock said. “I will work hard to make sure those resources are used wisely to help restore economic prosperity to the people of our community. Too often the federal government has prevented our people from benefiting from the water, timber and mineral resources in our area, and I intend to work with local businesses and leaders to tap these assets and help create jobs and economic opportunity in these tough economic times.”

McClintock has also been appointed to the House Committee on Education & Labor. The committee has jurisdiction over education and workplace issues. “The Education and Labor Committee will be ground zero in the debate over federal encroachment into local schools and businesses and I look forward to joining that battle,” McClintock said.

-30-",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:17Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/111th-congress-convenes,111th Congress Convenes,2009-01-06,2009,2009-01,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - The Members-elect of the 111th Congress met in their Hall, and at noon were called to order by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lorraine C. Miller.

The Members-elect and Delegates-elect and the Resident Commissioner-elect were administered the oath of office by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

# # #",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:17Z
https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/a-new-virtual-office,A New Virtual Office,2009-01-06,2009,2009-01,Republican,House,CA,Tom McClintock,M001177,mcclintock.house.gov,mcclintock,https://mcclintock.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"The office launches a new website for district residents.

It is aimed to allow site visitors to have access to the latest information from Capitol Hill.

Constituents can make requests such as receiving assistance with Federal Agencies, apply for an appointment to one of the U.S. military academies, and request a Presidential greeting.

District residents can view the latest news by signing up for the website's RSS feed.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T21:14:17Z