Erik Philip Paulsen (born May 14, 1965) is an American politician serving in the United States House of Representatives for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district since 2009. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009 and as Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007. His district in the western part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area includes Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth and Wayzata.
Video Erik Paulsen
Early life, education, and career
Born in Bakersfield, California, Paulsen graduated from Chaska High School in Minnesota in 1983. He attended St. Olaf College, and received a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics in 1987. After college, Paulsen worked as an intern for Republican Senator Rudy Boschwitz from 1989 until Boschwitz was defeated by Democratic challenger Paul Wellstone in 1990. Paulsen then took a staff position with Republican Representative Jim Ramstad in Washington, D.C. He worked on Ramstad's local congressional campaign in 1992 before seeking election to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1994.
From 2007 to 2009, Paulsen worked as a part-time business analyst for Target Corporation while a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Maps Erik Paulsen
Minnesota House of Representatives
Paulsen was initially elected as an Independent Republican. Before entering politics, he worked as a businessman. He served on the Commerce and Labor, Rules and Legislative Administration, Taxes, and Ways and Means committees.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
- 2008
Paulsen won a three-way race for Minnesota's Third Congressional District in November 2008. His U.S. House candidacy was announced after the incumbent, Jim Ramstad (a Republican), announced his retirement in 2007, which gave an opportunity for both major parties to field potential candidates. Shortly after he announced his retirement, Ramstad endorsed Paulsen and served as the chairman of Paulsen's Steering Committee. Paulsen was a speaker at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Paulsen won the election with 48.48% of the vote, to Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee Ashwin Madia's 40.85% and Independence Party of Minnesota candidate David Dillon's 10.56%. While not achieving a majority, Paulsen defeated Madia by about 30,000 votes.
- 2010
Paulsen won reelection with 59% of the vote against Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger Jim Meffert.
During the race, Meffert filed a complaint with the United States House Committee on Ethics claiming that Paulsen distributed a deliberately misleading mailing to his constituents using the franking privilege afforded to House members. The committee didn't act on the complaint, as the franking office had cleared the mailer in advance.
- 2012
Paulsen ran against DFL nominee Brian Barnes, an Edina businessman and former Navy Reserve officer. He was reelected with 58% of the vote.
2014
2016
Committee assignments
The Bicameral Joint Economic Committee
The House Committee on Ways and Means
o Subcommittee on Health o Subcommittee on Trade
Town halls
In 2017, a group of constituents sought signatures on a petition asking Paulsen to hold public town hall meetings. In 2017 he held only telephone town halls, business tours, and private meetings. Paulsen was invited to attend a "With or Without Him" town hall meeting but declined the invitation.
In May 2018, Paulsen held three in-person town hall meetings in the 3rd district. During the events, he distanced himself from President Trump and Congressional leaders.
Political positions
Paulsen is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, the Republican Study Committee, the Congressional Arts Caucus, and the United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus.
Paulsen opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Paulsen voted against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Paulsen introduced the Text a Tip Act to the House in 2010. The bill would have allowed users to send tips about crimes to a third party, removing all identifying information about the source before the police received the message. The bill died in committee and was not adopted.
Paulsen cosponsored a draft of the Small Business Assistance and Relief Act in 2010, to provide increased lending and aid for small businesses and ease their financial encumbrances.
Paulsen supports the special investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Trump's dismissal of James Comey. In February 2017, Paulsen voted against requesting President Donald Trump's tax returns from the Treasury Department.
Economy
Paulsen supports continuing the Bush-era tax cuts and global free trade agreements. He voted for the fiscal 2012 federal budget plan that provided for substantial overhaul of Medicare, including replacement of the traditional program with a premium support payment for private health insurance coverage for Americans under age 55.
Paulsen voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Dodd-Frank.
Health care
In 2009, Paulsen expressed opposition to a public health insurance option and instead supported a Republican alternative plan. At an April 7, 2010, Republican rally in Minneapolis, Paulsen described the Affordable Care Act as a "government takeover of health care," a claim that Minnesota Public Radio said "isn't correct."
Paulsen has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. In January 2017, he voted for the budget reconciliation provision to begin the process of ACA repeal.
On May 4, 2017, Paulsen voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and for the American Health Care Act.
In February 2018, Paulsen sponsored legislation to repeal caps on Medicare outpatient services like physical therapy.
Paulsen introduced legislation to combat opioid abuse by educating seniors about non-opioid alternative pain treatments and ways to safely dispose of addictive painkillers.
Immigration
Paulsen has been a longtime proponent of immigration reform and supports granting temporary legal status to those who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, saying he supports "ensuring that young people who came to the United States through no fault of their own and have done nothing wrong are able to be valuable contributors to our country."
In May 2018, Paulsen joined House Democrats in signing a "discharge petition" to force the House to vote on a series of immigration bills, including one that would provide permanent legal status to those who came to the country illegally as children.
Paulsen does not support building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, citing its projected multi-billion-dollar cost.
Environment
Paulsen has a lifetime rating of 16% from the League of Conservation voters. He has called for an end to Minnesota's ban on building nuclear power plants, saying that "trying to meet our energy needs without using nuclear energy is a little bit like trying to row a boat with one oar." Along with ninety-five percent of Republicans and seventeen percent of Democrats, he voted against the American Clean Energy and Security Act which would have imposed a cap a trade system.
Paulsen voted against allowing copper-sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
LGBT rights
In 2010, Paulsen voted against a bill repealing the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
In 2017, he voted for an amendment that would have defunded transition-related healthcare for transgender soldiers in the military.
Guns
From 2007 through 2018, Paulsen received $21,150 in campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association (NRA), which has given him an "A" rating. As of June 2016, he had voted 13 times in opposition to bringing gun safety bills to the House floor.
In February 2018, Paulsen said he would support a ban on bump stocks, strengthened background checks, a lifting of the ban on federal research for gun violence, and gun violence restraining orders.
In May 2018, Paulsen co-sponsored the Jake Laird Act, which provides grants to encourage states to adopt gun violence restraining order laws. Gun violence restraining orders enable local law enforcement to seize and retain firearms from people who are determined to be an imminent danger to themselves or others.
In December 2017, Paulsen voted in favor of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, which allows people with a concealed carry permit in one state to legally travel with hidden guns to any other state.
Legislation
On February 13, 2013, Paulsen introduced the National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 627; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). The coins would all have a surcharge attached, the money from which would be given to the National Park Foundation.
Paulsen strongly supported the Money Remittances Improvement Act of 2014 (H.R. 4386; 113th Congress), a bill that would make it easier for nonbank financial institutions such as money service businesses to provide remittance payments internationally. Paulsen argued that the bill would make it easier for American immigrants "supporting their extended families overseas" to help their relatives, while still "providing the necessary safeguards to ensure their money reaches its intended destination." The bill would help these people by "streamlining the remittance process and eliminating regulatory barriers to sending money home."
On November 21, 2013, Paulsen introduced the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2013 (H.R. 3610; 113th Congress), a bill that would require each state, within three years, to have in effect legislation that: (1) treats a minor who has engaged or attempted to engage in a commercial sex act as a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, (2) discourages the charging or prosecution of such an individual for a prostitution or sex trafficking offense, and (3) encourages the diversion of such individual to child protection services. The bill was scheduled to be voted on in the House on May 20, 2014 under a suspension of the rules.
In 2015, Paulsen was the House member who introduced the fifth-most bills with sponsors from both parties. With Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, he led an effort to repeal an excise tax on medical devices imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill passed the House one vote shy of a veto-proof majority. A two-year suspension of the tax was included in a 2015 year-end funding bill in 2015.
Also in 2015, Paulsen authored HR644, the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2015, which provides tax incentives to encourage food donations, and wrote a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act that requires the Department of Defense to return all military working dogs to the United States after completing their service. The American Humane Association strongly advocated for passage of this provision.
Also in 2015, Paulsen authored legislation to provide tax exemptions for the families of fallen police officers. In March 2018, Paulsen introduced legislation to improve protections against identity theft via tax returns.
Personal life
During college at St. Olaf, Paulsen met his wife, Kelly. The Paulsens had four daughters as of 2014, and live in Eden Prairie. Paulsen serves as a board member of the Eden Prairie A Brighter Day Foundation, Habitat for Global Learning, Habitat for Technology and the Southdale YMCA. He is a member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders and the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers for Learning Exchange.
Paulsen has participated in the inaugural two-year class of the Aspen Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, the German Marshall Memorial Fellowship, the Young Leaders Forum of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and the American Council of Young Political Leaders. He has been granted an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, and a Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
See also
- List of United States Representatives from Minnesota
- United States congressional delegations from Minnesota
References
External links
- Congressman Erik Paulsen official U.S. House website
- Erik Paulsen for Congress
- Erik Paulsen at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Source of article : Wikipedia
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