Comprehensive national climate legislation remains elusive in the US. Linking district-level employment to roll-call behaviour in the 2009 House vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, this column shows that a higher share of carbon-intensive (‘brown’) establishments sharply lowers the probability of a ‘Yea’ vote. At the same time, district-level climate opinion boosts support for the Act and moderates the influence of brown industries, suggesting that public sentiment can constrain