Tom McClintock vs. Mike Barkley for California Congress: Candidates answer key questions
Longtime Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, once again faces Democrat Mike Barkley in California's 5th Congressional District.
Barkley ran against McClintock in the November 2022 election and lost.
The 5th District is solidly Republican.
It runs from Placerville down into Fresno County, covering Yosemite National Park and parts of Kings Canyon National Park. The 5th grabs Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties as well as western El Dorado County and eastern Stanislaus, Madera and Fresno counties.
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The Bee asked the candidates to fill out a survey. Their responses were checked and slightly edited for spelling and grammar.
Tom McClintock
Political party:
Age:
Birthplace: White Plains, New York
Residence: Elk Grove
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Education: University of California, Los Angeles (Bachelor's degree in political science)
Offices held: U.S. Representative (2009-present); California State Senator (2000-2008); California State Assemblyman (1996-2000, 1982-1992)
Campaign website address: TomMcClintock.com
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people in the district?
The Democrats passed trillions in new spending — over my strong opposition — and unleashed the worst inflation in 40 years. It's reduced the value of the dollar by more than 20% and reduced Americans' take-home pay.
In Congress, I've fought to stop earmarks, unauthorized appropriations, subsidies to failing businesses, and grants that rob one community's taxes to pay for projects for another. The first bill I introduce each session is the balanced budget amendment.
Last year, the National Taxpayers Union rated me #2 among the 535 members of Congress for my votes to reduce federal spending.
Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?
As chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee, I wrote much of HR 2 that would restore and require the Trump border policies that reduced illegal immigration to a 41-year low. That bill passed the House but is blocked by Senate Democrats.
I strongly support rigorous enforcement of court-ordered deportations, completion of the border wall and an end to sanctuary policies that protect criminal illegal aliens. Without enforcement of our immigration laws, we have no borders, and without borders, we have no country.
Q. Other than cost of living, immigration and the border, what is one of the greatest issues Californians are facing and what tangible measures do you propose Congress take to address it?
As chairman of both the Federal Lands and Water Subcommittees and as a member of the Natural Resources Committee, I have fought to cut the red tape that has made active management of our forests and construction of new reservoirs all but impossible.
My bill granting an exclusion from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for forest thinning projects in the Tahoe Basin was signed into law and helped save the City of South Lake Tahoe from the Caldor Fire. I am pressing legislation to extend this law to all of our national forests and to expedite approval of desperately needed new reservoirs in California.
Mike Barkley
Political party:
Age:
Birthplace:
Residence:
Occupation: Property manager
Education: Armstrong College Law School (Juris Doctor)
Offices held: Elected delegate to the California Democratic Party (several times)
Campaign website address: mikebarkley4congress.com
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people in the district?
Restore housing availability and reduce housing costs by reversing the damage done by Congress to the housing market over the past 50 years:
a. Reverse the provisions that killed the tax shelter rental construction business in the 1986 Tax Reform Act and since then.
b. Repeal the Faircloth Amendment and restore the housing subsidies that were cut concurrently and before and since.
c. Restore the subprime housing market impaired through administrative changes and through the Dodd-Frank Act.
Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?
I support the Senate bill recently killed by Donald Trump's lobbying pressure.
Q. Other than cost of living, immigration and the border, what is one of the greatest issues Californians are facing and what tangible measures do you propose Congress take to address it?
