California

From the shores of Lake Tahoe to the foothills of the Sierra, it’s no surprise that the Tahoe region holds a special place in our heart. Whether you’re a mountain biker, skier, or hiker, this part of California hosts many incredible opportunities for exploration.

With a strong outdoor recreation economy and a community of passionate outdoor enthusiasts, this area cannot afford to be represented by a climate denier in Congress. California’s 4th District, stretching from Tahoe to Yosemite to King’s Canyon National Park, needs a leader on Capitol Hill who will step up to the challenge and protect our winters.

Tourism largely drives the economy in the Tahoe basin down through Yosemite National Park. From hotels and restaurants to guides and outfitters, a changing climate is a sure threat to the future prosperity of the region. Four years of drought, from 2011 to 2015, led to ski resorts in the area to shutter their doors as early as January. The lack of snow simply could not sustain their operations. The trickle-down impact was real: if people aren’t visiting the ski resorts, local businesses suffer.

Residents of California’s 4th District spend over $2 billion on outdoor recreation each year. We cannot afford to put the region’s thriving outdoor recreation economy at risk.

Tom McClintock (R)

Tom McClintock is the current congressman representing CA-04 on Capitol Hill. He has been a politician since 1982, also serving in the California House and the California Senate.

• McClintock believes “Earth’s climate has been changing since the planet formed,” and that “whether or not we choose to impose policies that send our energy prices soaring and impoverish our economy, one thing is certain: the earth will continue to warm and cool as it has for four billion years.”
• He says “despite increasingly hysterical attempts by leftist politicians to stifle debate and punish contrary viewpoints, questions over the impact of human activity on this natural phenomenon are, in my opinion, dubious, political, and unconvincing.”
• In the last year, he voted against the six bills pertaining to climate change, including voting against limiting methane pollution and recognizing climate change as a threat to national security.
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Jessica Morse (D)

Jessica Morse has served as a national security strategist for the past decade and is now challenging Tom McClintock to represent CA-04.

• Morse grew up hiking, fishing, and hunting, and as an avid backpacker, she has hiked the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail in California’s 4^th District, from north of Lake Tahoe south to Mt. Whitney, and for these reasons, Morse says it is easy to see “our district is on the front line of environmental policy, on climate change, and on public lands.”
• Morse is concerned about warming temperatures that increase bark beetle populations and rising snow lines that impact seasonal jobs and water availability. She believes “it’s time the most beautiful Congressional district in America had a Representative willing to defend it.”
• She has committed to work towards investing in a clean energy future and reducing carbon emissions.
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