Erik Paulsen

Erik Philip Paulsen (born May 14, 1965) is an American businessman and politician who represented MN's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019.

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.

He succeeded Sidney Pauly.

In 1994 Paulsen was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives from District 42B, which covered part of suburban Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009 and as majority leader from 2003 to 2007.

He was reelected six times and, in addition, he was elected by his fellow house Republicans to serve as majority leader from 2003 until 2007.

From 2007 to 2009 Paulsen worked as a part-time business analyst for Target Corporation while a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Paulsen was elected as member of the Republican Party.

Before entering politics he was a businessman.

He served on the Commerce and Labor, Rules and Legislative Administration, Taxes, and Ways and Means committees.

He won the 2008 election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district, which covers the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, and succeeded retiring Republican incumbent Jim Ramstad.

Paulsen represented the district in Congress for five terms.

Paulsen opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

He voted against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

In 2009 Paulsen expressed opposition to a public health insurance option and instead supported a Republican alternative plan.

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.

In 2010 Paulsen cosponsored a draft of the Small Business Assistance and Relief Act intended to provide increased lending and aid for small businesses and ease their financial burden.

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 voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

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.

Paulsen supported the special investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump's dismissal of James Comey.

In 2017 a group of constituents sought signatures on a petition asking Paulsen to hold public town hall meetings.

His campaign primarily held townhalls over the phone with campaign aides screening questions, in addition to business tours and private meetings.

Paulsen was invited to attend a "With or Without Him" town hall meeting but declined.

In February 2017 Paulsen voted against requesting Trump's tax returns from the Treasury Department.

FiveThirtyEight found that Paulsen voted with Trump 98% of the time, and was the third-most partisan Republican in the House when compared to his district's voting patterns.

Paulsen helped to author the Republican tax reform of 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Paulsen supported continuing the Bush-era tax cuts and global free trade agreements.

In January 2017 he voted for the budget reconciliation provision to begin the process of ACA repeal.

He easily won reelection four times, but was defeated in his 2018 reelection bid by Democrat Dean Phillips.

From 2018 until 2019, he served as chair of the Joint Economic Committee.

On May 30, 2018, Paulsen held three in-person town hall meetings in the 3rd district.

During the events he distanced himself from Donald Trump and congressional leaders.

Paulsen was a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, the Republican Study Committee, the Congressional Arts Caucus, the United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus and the Climate Solutions Caucus.