I hope everyone had an enjoyable Fourth of July last weekend! Independence Day is not only a great opportunity to spend with family and friends, but also to reflect on our nation's history. 

In Washington this week, I took time on the House floor to honor the life and contributions of the late Elie Wiesel, who passed away earlier this month. His legacy of peace and advocacy of human rights and the dignity of all people is an inspiration to all of us. His personal experience as a Holocaust survivor shaped his worldview and led to a lifelong message of peace as an author, scholar, and activist. To watch my remarks on the House floor, you can click here.

Also, looking ahead, I will be hosting a Roundtable on Human Trafficking next week with leaders in the effort to combat trafficking worldwide. I want to build on the success of the new law I authored -- the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act. It encourages states to adopt safe harbor laws to treat young juveniles of this horrible practice as victims rather than criminals.

Participants will include stakeholders and experts from Operation Underground Railroad, Rights4Girls, the Foundation for a Slavery Free World, Uber, the Minneapolis Police Department, among many others. We will look back at the anti-trafficking bills passed last year, what is working, what was addressed, and what more can be done.

As always, please let me know whenever I can be of assistance to you or your family. Join the conversation online by visiting my website, Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and please watch the latest Erik's Correspondence Corner video.

 

 

Recovering Missing Children Act Signed into Law

Last week, the Recovering Missing Children Act, a bipartisan bill I authored, was signed into law by the President. It is a commonsense fix that will help reunite families.

Here's how it works: While tax return filings are used to solve many serious crimes, law enforcement has not had access to IRS information when it comes to missing children cases, making the task of locating these missing children more difficult for investigators. Unfortunately, nearly 200,000 children are abducted by a relative or family member every year. In nearly half of those cases, it was discovered the relative was filing a tax return with the child's Social Security Number or an address that could be used to locate the child.

The new law allows access, with a warrant, to this vital information. It's the result of years of bipartisan work and support from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and many law enforcement organizations.

 

Health Care Security Act Passes in the House

Rising health care costs continue to be a concern for Minnesota families. That's why I've taken steps to expand access to a popular type of account that empowers patients and can lead to savings.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are used by millions of Americans (800,000 Minnesotans) to pay for health care costs for themselves and their families because of the choice and flexibility they offer. Provisions of my Health Care Security Act, passed with bipartisan support in the House this week and will improve access to these accounts and make them easier to use. HSA-eligible insurance plans provide individuals with opportunities to put away tax-free savings for everyday medical costs.

The bottom line is that this will give people more options and say in their health care. The bill now heads to the Senate. You can watch me speak about this on the House floor below.

 

 

Reforming Mental Health Treatment 

Mental health is an extremely important issue and, unfortunately, the federal government's current approach to providing treatment to the millions of Americans who suffer from it is inadequate and ineffective. This week, the House took a major step to change the way our nation's health care system deals with those with mental illness. It's important to make sure that people who suffer from mental illness are treated just like any other patient to get the care and medications they need. And that's exactly what the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act does. 

I am a co-author of this bipartisan bill, which passed overwhelmingly in the House. It focuses resources on evidence-based care, addresses the hospital bed shortage, and ensures caregivers can get their loved ones the help they need. Experts across Minnesota, including the MN Alliance for Mental Illness, said this initiative addresses the problems facing our current mental health system.

 

Erik takes the field in his Minnesota Twins jersey at the annual Congressional Baseball Game for charity

 

Congressman Paulsen visits Takeda Pharmaceuticals manufacturing site in Brooklyn Park

 

Congressman Paulsen takes questions from reporters about a recent tax reform proposal

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