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Paul Teller
Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Vice President
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2017
PresidentDonald Trump
Personal details
Born
Paul Scott Teller

(1971-02-21) February 21, 1971 (age 53)
New York City, New York[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationDuke University (B.A.)
American University (Ph.D.)

Paul Scott Teller (born February 21, 1971)[2] is the former Chief of Staff for Senator Ted Cruz and former Executive Director of the United States House of Representatives Republican Study Committee. Teller was described in a Washington Post profile as "one of the most influential conservative aides in Congress."[3] As a result of actions he and his subordinates took during the 2011 U.S. debt ceiling crisis, Republican members of the House of Representatives reportedly chanted "fire him, fire him" during a Republican Conference meeting the morning of July 27, 2011.[4] In a profile published shortly following Teller's appointment to be Sen. Cruz's Chief of Staff, The Hill described Teller as "Cruz's agitator in chief."[5] In late January 2017, President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence hired Paul Teller as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, with a focus on Senate and House conservatives.[citation needed] Mr. Teller has earned accolades and praise from conservative circles throughout his career.[6] The Heritage Foundation, considered by many to be the most influential conservative think tank in the United States,[7] described Teller as "A dynamic conservative leader who is trusted and respected by conservatives on Capitol Hill and amongst outside groups. His role in the White House has been critical since the beginning and this step will make him even more effective.”[8] In February 2020, the Washington Examiner reported Paul Teller was appointed by Vice President Mike Pence as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Vice President, leaving his previous position in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. [9]

Early life

Raised on Long Island, Teller graduated from Duke University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and earned his Doctor of Philosophy in the same from American University in 1999.[10]

Capitol Hill career

After receiving his doctorate, Teller became a professional staff member for the Committee on House Administration under Rep. Bill Thomas. In 2001, he became legislative director for the Republican Study Committee, later rising to deputy director and executive director.[11][12][13]

In 2012, Paul Teller was named one of Roll Call's "Fabulous 50," a list which highlights Capitol Hill's leading Democratic and Republican staffers. Roll Call selected him in particular for his "Mastery," awarded to the Hill's policy and procedural experts, and "Spin," given to Congress' best communicators who help set the tone and frame the debate.[14]

In 2014, Teller joined the Board of Advisors of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies.[15] He is a member of the Council for National Policy.

2011 U.S. debt crisis controversy

Teller was involved in controversy during the 2011 U.S. debt ceiling crisis when, in July 2011, he and his subordinates reportedly emailed several conservative groups to urge the groups to lobby against a plan put forward by Speaker of the House John Boehner.[4][16] After the emails were discussed at a Republican conference meeting on July 27, 2011, which Teller attended, members of the conference chanted "fire him, fire him".[4] Anonymous Republican staff members criticized Teller for what they described as his "aggressive language and willingness to attack Republicans," while another anonymous senior GOP aide argued that "coordinating on message and revving up conservative activists is not, in and of itself, a bad thing."[16] While it was reported that members chanted "fire him, fire him" to Paul Teller during the closed door meeting, reports later came out showing the situation was embellished and exaggerated by the media, while others claimed it never happened at all.

2013 firing

On December 11, 2013, it was reported that Teller had been fired by RSC Chairman Steve Scalise.[17][18] Conservative leaders were outraged and quickly issued a statement in support of Paul Teller.[19]

Chief of Staff for Ted Cruz

In early 2014, Senator Ted Cruz hired Paul Teller as his new deputy chief of staff. Sen. Cruz stated that "Paul's many years of experience working in Congress and his tireless work to advance conservative principles make him a tremendous addition to our team."[20] On September 10, 2014, Senator Cruz announced that Teller would take over the role of Chief of Staff following former Chief of Staff Chip Roy's transition from the Senator's federal office to take on the role of senior advisor for the Senator's political operations.[21]

Trump administration role

In late January 2017, President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence hired Paul Teller as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, with a focus on Senate and House conservatives.[citation needed]

New Role in the Trump Administration for Vice President Mike Pence

In February 2020, the Washington Examiner reported Paul Teller would leave his post in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs to assume a new role in the Trump administration for Vice President Mike Pence. Vice President Pence appointed Mr. Teller for the high-profile role to handle and maintain key relationships with conservative groups and lawmakers like those in the influential Freedom Caucus. The move was embraced by conservatives, some of whom also saw it as a nod to a potential 2024 presidential run by Pence. The move was also embraced by Marc Short, the vice president's chief of staff, who stated “Paul has been a fixture of the conservative movement for more than two decades, so we are thrilled to have him in the office of the vice president, where we know he’ll continue to work tirelessly to advance this administration’s priorities.”[22]

With his new role in the Trump administration, Mr. Teller's official title in the White House is "Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Vice President"[23]


References

  1. ^ https://www.yaf.org/speakers/paul-teller/
  2. ^ https://www.geni.com/people/Paul-Teller/6000000056473812896
  3. ^ Akers, Mary Ann (July 5, 2010). "Once a child of the left, now resolute on the right". Washington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Bresnahan, John & Jake Sherman (July 27, 2011). "GOPers chant 'fire him' at RSC staffer". Politico. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  5. ^ Bolton, Alexander (October 22, 2014). "Paul Teller: Cruz's agitator in chief". The Hill. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  6. ^ "Mr. Conservative: Pence builds outreach team for 2020 and beyond". Washington Examiner. 2020-02-27. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  7. ^ Chafuen, Alejandro. "The Most Influential Think Tanks In The United States: A New Social Media Ranking". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  8. ^ "Mr. Conservative: Pence builds outreach team for 2020 and beyond". Washington Examiner. 2020-02-27. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  9. ^ "Mr. Conservative: Pence builds outreach team for 2020 and beyond". Washington Examiner. 2020-02-27. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  10. ^ "Featured Alum: Paul Teller". Duke University. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  11. ^ "Faculty Bio: Paul Teller". Leadership Institute. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  12. ^ "Republican Study Committee Staff List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  13. ^ "Duke Alum Paul Teller Talks Conservative Advocacy". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  14. ^ "Roll Call Fabulous 50". Roll Call. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  15. ^ "NFRA Announces National Advisory Board". National Federation of Republican Assemblies. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  16. ^ a b "A Conservative Revolt in Full". Roll Call. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  17. ^ House conservative caucus staffer fired for undermining lawmakers, Paul Kane, The Washington Post, December 11, 2013
  18. ^ Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and John Bresnahan (Dec 11, 2013). "RSC fires executive director".
  19. ^ Rob Bluey (Dec 12, 2013). "Conservative Leaders Voice Outrage at Firing of RSC Executive Director".
  20. ^ Ted Cruz (Jan 14, 2014). "Sen. Cruz Names Paul Teller Deputy Chief of Staff".
  21. ^ Ted Cruz (Sep 10, 2014). "Sen. Cruz Makes Senior Staff Changes".
  22. ^ "Mr. Conservative: Pence builds outreach team for 2020 and beyond". Washington Examiner. 2020-02-27. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  23. ^ Sherman, Jake; Palmer, Anna. "POLITICO Playbook: How can Trump stem the bleeding?". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-04-04.


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