Congressman Erik Paulsen has consistently taken votes in line with his right-wing agenda, earning a 97.2% Trump score on fivethirtyeight.com, a voting record that does not reflect the views of his constituents.
Paulsen has an A- rating from the National Rifle Association and has consistently voted against common-sense gun safety measures including universal background checks. When reviewing Paulsen's speech and actions, it is important not to confuse any expressions of support for gun safety for genuine commitment. Like many other conservatives in moderate districts, Paulsen is adept at engaging moderate voters with speeches that express genuine concern about gun violence in order to get votes while taking few measures to enact real gun reform. For example, although Paulsen came out in favor of a bump stock ban, this legislation is stalled in Congress, and he is not stumping for passage or demonstrating real leadership.
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Rep. Erik Paulsen's health care votes reflect his priorities: Loyalty to the Trump/Pence agenda and the GOP over his constituents' values and best interests. Although the Republican health care bill was highly unpopular with only 21 percent of Americans surveyed in favor just before the May 2017 vote, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed the House by a razor-thin margin with the help of a "Yes" vote from Paulsen. Had the GOP effort not fallen apart on the Senate side, Paulsen and his fellow Republicans would have stripped health care from 24 million people nationwide, including tens of thousands in Minnesota's Third District. The bill allowed insurers to reject coverage for individuals with pre-existing ailments, something Paulsen had claimed in the past he would not support. In fact, Paulsen frequently supports legislation that benefits his for-profit health care industry campaign donors while failing to support expanded access to health care for millions of Americans who struggle to pay medical bills.
In addition to voting for a bad law in the AHCA, Paulsen was also willing to go along with a rushed legislative process that lacked transparency. He voted in favor of the final version of the AHCA despite the lack of a complete analysis from the Congressional Budget Office and the lack of public hearings in Congress. We can't trust Paulsen to represent our interests in Washington.
In addition to voting for a bad law in the AHCA, Paulsen was also willing to go along with a rushed legislative process that lacked transparency. He voted in favor of the final version of the AHCA despite the lack of a complete analysis from the Congressional Budget Office and the lack of public hearings in Congress. We can't trust Paulsen to represent our interests in Washington.
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With a 14% approval rating from the League of Conservation Voters in 2017 and a lifetime score of 16%, Erik Paulsen's environmental record can only be described as very poor. When addressing his environmental record Paulsen frequently speaks of his love for the Boundary Waters and National Parks and compares himself to Teddy Roosevelt. It's important to remember that on the majority of environmental votes, Paulsen's record indicates that he favors corporate interests over clean air and water, and that he is willing to take our country backwards by voting to dismantle protections already in place. This assault on the environment is being done in a series of seemingly small actions - death by a thousand cuts - which make it easier for polluting industries and states’ rights extremists to prevail. Here are just a few examples of what Erik Paulsen and the administration have been doing in the past year and a half:
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Americans have serious concerns about Russian interference in our election, and questions about whether Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Erik Paulsen voted against requiring the release of the President's tax returns which would have exposed any Russian interests. Additionally, there have been several measures to protect the Special Counsel's investigation and to prevent Trump from recklessly engaging a nuclear strike, but Paulsen is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of any of these efforts. He is a Trump loyalist who can't be trusted to uphold his responsibilities to be a check on the executive branch of government.
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Paulsen's vote for the GOP tax plan that defunded the government and raised the debt and deficit while awarding the majority of the benefits to those at the top is a clear indication of his priorities. Paulsen continues to participate in a massive propaganda campaign to sell his tax plan, while ignoring the impact of the plan on those who will see tax increases and other negative impacts of the plan such as the growth in economic inequality, the increase in the debt and deficit, and the new threat to important safety nets.The tax bill is particularly hard on Minnesotans due to the cap on state and local tax deductions.
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Since Aji Pai killed net neutrality in 2017, Paulsen's constituents have been, in earnest, trying to determine his views about net neutrality. Paulsen's record indicates that he favors corporate profits over consumer protections, and we think his reluctance to clearly state his views on this topic is telling. As someone who has taken more than $200,000 in donations from the Internet Service Providers industry, we are waiting to see how these donor dollars will influence Paulsen's actions. While Paulsen stated in letter to a constituent that net neutrality issues should be solved through legislation, he has not sponsored, nor is he a co-sponsor of any legislation addressing net neutrality.
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- Paulsen IS NOT a sponsor or co-sponsor of ANY legislation related to net neutrality.
- Paulsen voted to roll-back internet privacy protections designed to protect the confidential information of consumers. S.J.Res. 34
Paulsen's record indicates that he is willing to vote for legislation that interferes with women's reproductive rights and right to fair pay in the work place.
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