Erik Paulsen
Erik Paulsen
Erik Paulsenis 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, 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 and Wayzata...
NationalityAlgerian
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth14 May 1965
CountryAlgeria
After thinking carefully about how I can best help my fellow Minnesotans, I have decided to not seek election for a different office in 2014. The warm encouragement from many people to run for U.S. senator or the governorship was deeply humbling.
Spending more time with my colleagues outside the Capitol helps build bipartisan relationships.
I'm not a supporter of ObamaCare. I voted to repeal it, to defund it, et cetera. But we do need to move on.
I've criticized Republicans for their lack of fiscal discipline when they controlled Congress before 2007. However, that is no excuse to just continue with more of the same or, as the case is now, to make it worse. Under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's budget, we will double the national debt in five years and triple it in 10.
Since I joined Congress, I've been shocked at how many times we were forced to vote on 1,000-plus-page bills without ample time to read or review what was in the final legislation. It's no wonder Congress doesn't enact good policy.
That's been hard being away from the family, because Washington can be lonely. When you tune out of all the activity, that's like, you're alone.
As Congress debates overhauling the nation's health care system, it should not authorize a reform plan that would further our financial woes. We must avoid creating an unsustainable government program. There is no question that reform is needed, but health care can be made more affordable without massive and expensive new bureaucracies.
College campuses are a focus of prevention efforts for meningococcal disease because of the increased incidence of the disease during adolescence and young adulthood, as well as transmission from crowded living conditions and social behaviors common among college students.
Minnesotans are ticket splitters. They look to the candidate, not the party, which is the way it should be, and that's only going to help me.
The medical device tax repeal is the only proposal that had the most bipartisan votes coming out of the House and has the opportunity in the Senate to gain tractions, and it fixes a part of ObamaCare in terms of repealing an awful tax. And it's got bipartisan support.