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.

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.

Elections

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.

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.

Paulsen ran against DFL nominee Brian Barnes, an Edina businessman and former Navy Reserve officer. He was reelected with 58% of the vote.

Committee assignments

The Bicameral Joint Economic Committee

The House Committee on Ways and Means

• Subcommittee on Health • Subcommittee on Trade

Town hall controversy

According to his website, Paulsen has not held an in-person town hall meeting with his constituents since 2010. This has resulted in protests in 2017, with constituents demanding Paulsen hold a town hall event open to the public. In February 2017 he was repeatedly invited to attend a public town hall at a church in his district. An overflow crowd attended the meeting, but Paulsen did not, despite being in the district at the time.

Budget and health care

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 has consistently opposed a public health insurance option. Instead, he supported a Republican alternative plan. At an April 7, 2010, GOP rally in Minneapolis, Paulsen described the Affordable Care Act as a "government takeover of health care," a claim that Minnesota Public Radio noted "isn't correct."

In recent years, Paulsen has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. In January 2017 he voted for the budget reconciliation provision regarded as the first step in the House process of ACA repeal. In March 2017, Paulsen cast a vote as a member of the Ways and Means Committee in favor of passing the American Health Care Act of 2017 before its impact had been evaluated by the Congressional Budget Office, which later estimated that 24 million people would lose coverage by 2026 due to the bill.

On May 4, 2017, Paulsen voted in favor of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the American Health Care Act. He also voted for the revised bill before it had been evaluated by the CBO.

Donald Trump's tax returns

In February 2017, while serving on the Ways and Means Committee, Paulsen voted against requesting President Donald Trump's tax returns from the Treasury Department. The measure failed 23-15, with all 23 Republicans voting against the measure. Trump is the first president to break the precedent started by Richard Nixon of presidential candidates releasing their tax returns.

Privacy

Paulsen voted for the 2017 bill to repeal Obama-era protections on internet privacy. Signed into law on April 3, 2017, the bill allows providers to sell their customers' browsing history to other parties. Within days of its passage, the Minnesota Senate voted 66-1 to reinstate privacy protections for internet users in Paulsen's home state.

Environment, energy, Wall Street reform, economic stimulus, and consumer protection

Paulsen has consistently voted in opposition to environmental interests and protections, which has gained him a 16% environmental voting rating 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." He also voted against the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Paulsen voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009.

Even though he voted against President Obama's stimulus bill, Paulsen still attended groundbreaking ceremonies in his district to celebrate public works projects that were a direct result of the bill, effectively taking credit for infrastructure projects he voted against.

LGBT rights

Paulsen voted against a bill repealing the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy in favor of allowing individuals who have openly acknowledged their homosexuality to serve. He voted against several employment discrimination law amendments in 2009, as well as a bill that would have expanded the definition of hate crimes to include “felonies motivated by prejudice based on national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity of the victim.”

In 2017, Paulsen voted for an amendment that would have denied transgender service members coverage for transition-related healthcare.

9/11 Health and Compensation Act

Paulsen voted against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would have provided health monitoring and financial aid to the first responders of the September 11 attacks.

Other

Paulsen opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act intended to prevent pay discrimination against women.

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 has received over $18,000 in campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association.

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.

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.

Fellowships, honors, and recognitions

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.