Category: The Real Erik Paulsen

Paulsen won’t step up for election security

To the Editor:

Why won’t Erik Paulsen protect our elections? Erik Paulsen feigned outrage on Twitter the other day after Trump’s Helsinki press conference. He criticized Trump for siding with Putin, tweeting: “It’s clear [the Russians] meddled in our elections.” Since we’re all on the same page here, we should probably do something to make sure meddling in our elections doesn’t happen again, right?

Apparently not, according to Paulsen. He just voted for a spending bill that excluded new funding to protect our 2018 elections. The security of our elections is being threatened. Paulsen admits that, yet he won’t allow funding to secure them? It’s hard to express the disappointment I feel. Election security should be a bipartisan issue, and the fact that my congressman won’t stand up for that proves he’s not the right man for the job.

Josie Dorn, Minnetonka
Minnetonka Sun-Sailor, July 26, 2018

Trump And Republicans Help CEOs & Leave Everyone Else Behind

The Trump and Republican economic agenda has increased the gap between CEOs and everyone else. CEO have benefitted with tens of billions of dollars, while workers’ wages have not increased. See for yourself:

CEOs of the U.S.’s biggest corporations took home $10 billion last year.

Axios: “The CEOs running S&P 500 companies cumulatively took home $10 billion in 2017, an amount that is 44% higher than what is usually reported, according to an Axios analysis of Securities and Exchange Commission filings.” Continue reading “Trump And Republicans Help CEOs & Leave Everyone Else Behind”

For Paulsen-Phillips debate, the price of witnessing democracy is $60

As a concerned citizen who has recently become involved in local politics, I am dismayed to hear that incumbent Congressman in District 3, Erik Paulsen, and his challenger, Democrat Dean Phillips, will be participating in the first debate of this election season at a luncheon, in a private venue with a $60 price tag attached on August 21.

This debate is hosted by the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce and will be moderated by KSTP’s Tom Hauser. A discounted cost of $35 is available to Chamber of Commerce members, which comes with a $400-$4,000 annual membership fee.

Political debates for any seat should be free and open to the public. An exclusive, private debate perpetuates the notion that civic engagement is only for the well-connected and wealthy.

Continue reading “For Paulsen-Phillips debate, the price of witnessing democracy is $60”

House GOP refuses to renew election security funding as Democrats fume over Russian interference

The following article by Erica Werner was posted on the Washington Post website July 19, 2018:

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) decried the GOP-backed vote on a spending bill that excludes new money for election security grants to states. (U.S. House)

House Republicans on Thursday voted down a Democratic effort to increase election security spending, as Democrats accused the GOP of refusing to stand up to Russia over interference in U.S. elections.

In a vote along party lines, Republicans rejected Democrats’ motion for more funding, unmoved by Democrats’ vigorous pleas and chants of “USA! USA!” on the House floor.

The election security funding vote came amid a national controversy over Russian election interference, and it comes days after President Trump appeared to accept Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s contention that Russia did not intervene in the 2016 presidential race — even though U.S. intelligence agencies say otherwise.

View the complete article here.

Estimated Increases in 2019 Premiums by Congressional District Due to ACA Sabotage

The following article by Emily Gee and Aditya Krishnaswamy was posted on the Center for American Progress website July 24, 2018:

A couple explores different insurance plans available under the Affordable Care Act on November 1, 2017, in Miami.

This column contains a correction.

Over the past two years, the Trump administration has worked tirelessly to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The U.S. Congress’ repeal of the individual mandate penalty and the Trump administration’s actions to expand the availability of skimpy short-term plans are raising premiums for middle-class families. In its latest attack on the individual market for health insurance, the Trump administration also slashed funding for enrollment assistance by 72 percent and halted payments for risk adjustment, the federal program that discourages plans from avoiding sicker enrollees.

Last year, President Donald Trump’s decision to end cost-sharing assistance payments resulted in staggering increases in 2018 marketplace premiums, and these more recent attempts to destabilize the individual market will result in even higher rates for 2019. Although tax credits rise with premiums and therefore insulate lower-income individuals from higher costs, many middle-income families who buy insurance on their own will see 2019 premiums thousands of dollars higher than they would be if the Trump administration allowed the ACA to work as intended. Based on rate information to date, the Center for American Progress estimates that an unsubsidized 40-year-old will pay an extra $970 in marketplace premiums on average in 2019 because of the end of the mandate and the expansion of short-term plans. Continue reading “Estimated Increases in 2019 Premiums by Congressional District Due to ACA Sabotage”

Paulsen’s voting record is swayed by PAC donations

To the editor:

The decision by the Supreme Court for Citizen United in 2010 marked a turning point in elections. Now unlimited money can be poured in by donors and corporations in support of candidates.

I understand that many politicians don’t like this, but feel like they have to take the money to have a chance at winning. But that’s not what’s happening with Rep. Erik Paulsen. Because he doesn’t just take some money. He doesn’t begrudgingly take enough to pay the bills. He takes the eighth most of any member of Congress.

Why does he need that much? Or more importantly — why do these donors like him so much? To me, the answer seems obvious. He’s proven that he’ll vote however they tell him, whether it’s the gun lobby after Parkland or the pharmaceutical companies in a time when drug prices are through the roof. Continue reading “Paulsen’s voting record is swayed by PAC donations”

Dean Phillips to Erik Paulsen: Voters Deserve Open, Accessible Forums

Pressure mounting as Erik Paulsen refuses to commit to appear in public

Excelsior, MN – Dean Phillips today reiterated his call for open and accessible public forums where voters would have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of both candidates. Dean has already accepted invitations from several organizations planning to host such free and open public forums, including local chapters of the League of Women Voters, a local church and local Chambers of Commerce.

Despite saying “we’ll have other debates” on WCCO Sunday Morning, Paulsen has yet to commit to any other than the TwinWest Chamber debate, which costs non-members $60.

“Candidates running for public office should participate in open forums at which they take questions from the public, and such forums should be free of charge and accommodate all those who wish to attend,” said Dean Phillips. “My entire campaign is based on the notion that representation begins with listening, and I am eager to do just that. Erik Paulsen should listen to his constituents, who are rightly demanding the opportunity to hear from the two of us and share their perspectives with us – without having to pay. We are all awaiting his response.” Continue reading “Dean Phillips to Erik Paulsen: Voters Deserve Open, Accessible Forums”

Is Paulsen really a moderate?

To the Editor:

Is Erik Paulsen really a moderate? I say no. His votes, actions and inactions in the Trump era have proven exactly the opposite – that as the Republican Party has become more and more extreme, so has Erik Paulsen.

Recently, Paulsen said he supports Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. It is one thing to secretly toe the party line by voting with Trump’s positions nearly every time, but to approve a jurist as radically conservative as Brett Kavanaugh completely dispels the myth that Paulsen has a moderate agenda. Continue reading “Is Paulsen really a moderate?”

Congressman For Sale: Erik Paulsen is Bought and Sold

www.erikpaulsen.org reveals what the special interests are getting for their money

Excelsior, MN – A new online resource, “Congressman for Sale,” was launched today to help voters in Minnesota’s 3rd District understand the influence that powerful special interests have over Rep. Erik Paulsen – now the 6th largest recipient of special interest money among all 435 members of Congress.

The site exposes Paulsen’s $8,269,936 in special interest contributions by industry, showing what each received for their money through Congressman Paulsen’s votes. It provides voters with a report card from nationally-known advocacy groups, showing how out of touch Congressman Paulsen’s voting record is as a result of special interest influence, and a survey for those interested in learning more. The site also links to End Citizens United’s “Erik the PAC Man” game, where players can try to raise more money than Erik Paulsen while avoiding the constituents he all but ignores. Continue reading “Congressman For Sale: Erik Paulsen is Bought and Sold”

Whistleblower: EPA’s Pruitt kept secret calendar to hide meetings

The following article by Scott Bronstein, Curt Devine and Drew Griffin was posted on the CNN website July 3, 2018:

(CNN) — EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and his aides have kept “secret” calendars and schedules to overtly hide controversial meetings or calls with industry representatives and others, according to a former EPA official who is expected to soon testify before Congress. A review of EPA documents by CNN found discrepancies between Pruitt’s official calendar and other records.

EPA staffers met routinely in Pruitt’s office to “scrub,” alter or remove from Pruitt’s official calendar numerous records because they might “look bad,” according to Kevin Chmielewski, Pruitt’s former deputy chief of staff for operations, who attended the meetings.
A CNN review which compared Pruitt’s public calendar with internal EPA schedules and emails shows more than two dozen meetings, events or calls were omitted from his public calendar.

View the complete article on the CNN website here.