Paulsen’s Campaign Fueled by Special Interests, Votes Their Way
Erik Paulsen is the 6th highest recipient of PAC money in Congress — and his record in Washington aligns with lining their pockets. Paulsen voted for the GOP Tax Scam that gives more than 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% of Americans and a huge handout to large corporations. And because of how the tax scam blew up the deficit, it gives Erik Paulsen and Washington Republicans an opening to revisit their favorite topic: cutting Social Security and Medicare.
Like so many other suburban districts across the country, gun safety has been top of mind for Minnesotans. And while Minnesota students and teachers have called on Paulsen to take action on gun safety measures, he’s been in thepocket of the gun lobby. Paulsen has voted 21 times against legislation to prevent people on the terrorist watch list from buying a gun and opposed efforts to deny guns to individuals deemed mentally incompetent.
Paulsen’s Healthcare Vote Hurts Constituents
Paulsen has taken more than $1.2 million from the insurance industry, and then voted for the AHCA, which would raise healthcare costs, in addition to slapping an age tax on older Americans, gutting pre-existing condition protections and jeopardizing health insurance for 27,700 in his district. With premiums expected to rise by double digits, the political liability of Paulsen’s vote will fall squarely on his shoulders. He’s also failed to stand up to the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Paulsen “Fighting Everyday Shoulder-to-Shoulder With President Trump”
Erik Paulsen knows he’s vulnerable in part because of his loyalty to President Trump. Just look at his first campaign ad, where he’s desperately paddling away from the Trump Administration. Unfortunately for Paulsen, he’s now tied to Trump through his record in Congress. According to the website FiveThirtyEight, Paulsen votes with Trump 97.8 percent of the time, the most of the Minnesota delegation. Local TV fact-checkers have called Paulsen’s claim of standing up to Trump “misleading.”
Even Vice President Pence noted when he came to Minneapolis that Paulsen is “fighting everyday shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump.” Paulsen is going to have to paddle a lot harder to distance himself from his loyalty to the Trump-Pence Administration and their harmful agenda that leaves Minnesotans behind.