Rep. Tom McClintock is failing his constituents, and he doesn’t want to hear about it | Opinion

Over the last two weeks, Congressman Tom McClintock had multiple town halls scheduled across California’s 5th Congressional District, home to his nearly 800,000 constituents. But, he abruptly changed those plans. Instead of showing up to hear from the people he serves, he has canceled all meetings that were previously set to occur this week.

And that failure goes beyond just this district — it is part of a larger problem. Congress is losing its power.

One of the most dangerous shifts in American politics today is the erosion of congressional authority. Rather than acting as an independent branch of government, Congress is increasingly deferring to the executive branch — allowing Donald Trump to bypass them and make unilateral decisions.

Instead of upholding the checks and balances that protect democracy, Tom McClintock has chosen fear of financial influence by Elon Musk over constitutional responsibility. Congress is failing to hold Trump accountable for executive overreach, disregarding unconstitutional actions, and they are standing by as presidential powers expand beyond their constitutional scope.

McClintock has helped weaken the very institution he was elected to serve.

If McClintock truly believed in conservative principles, he would be defending congressional power, the separation of powers, and the Constitution — not handing authority over to a man who now calls himself a King.

Voting record misaligned with constituents’ needs

Thousands of families in his district rely on strong public education, federal assistance programs, and economic policies that foster opportunity. Yet, time and again, McClintock votes against these interests.

▪ Dismantling the Department of Education: Public education is a lifeline for working-class families. McClintock’s support for eliminating the Department of Education would gut funding for schools, teacher training, and programs supporting English learners and children with disabilities. This would disproportionately impact low-income communities, which depend on federal education resources to provide students with a fair chance at success.

▪ Gutting Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California): McClintock has openly advocated for slashing Medicaid/Medi-Cal, a program that provides healthcare coverage to millions of low-income families, foster children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. Gutting Medicaid would strip essential healthcare services from some of the most vulnerable people in his district.

▪ Blocking economic and immigration reforms: McClintock has consistently opposed policies that would provide stability and pathways to success for hardworking families. His opposition to immigration reform, worker protections, and social programs directly undermines the economic backbone of his own district, particularly in agriculture and small businesses.

Dismissing constituents instead of listening

When I called McClintock’s office to express concerns about policies harming the Latino community and children with disabilities, I expected a discussion. Instead, I was met with condescension.

“Why are you pulling the race card?”

That was the chilling response from McClintock’s staffer when I questioned his stance on dismantling education programs — an agency critical to ensuring access to quality education for all children. It was a stunning dismissal of real concerns affecting real people in his district.

The real-world impact of his policies

The consequences of McClintock’s votes directly affect the daily lives of his constituents. His actions take money out of everyday people’s pockets while lining the bank accounts of billionaires.

▪ Education: Dismantling the Department of Education would mean fewer resources for schools, fewer teachers, and fewer opportunities for all students.

▪ Economy: His opposition to worker protections, immigration reform, and Medicaid, combined with his support for tax policies that raise federal taxes on those earning less than $300,000 while cutting them for the wealthy, directly harms the stability of nearly all Americans. These policies create economic uncertainty, disproportionately burden middle- and lower-income families, and contribute to financial instability in our communities

▪ Congressional authority: By allowing Trump to sidestep Congress without resistance, McClintock is complicit in the erosion of legislative power, setting a precedent that could weaken the balance of power in future administrations.

To McClintock’s Congressional staff: When all of this is over — and it will end — and you find yourself speaking to your family, to your children, will you be able to hold your head high? Will you proudly tell them about the choices you made during America’s most vicious attack on its democracy? Or will you struggle to justify your actions, realizing too late that you turned your back on humanity? Mark Twain said, “It is never wrong to do the right thing”.