John Barrasso
Encyclopedia
John Anthony Barrasso is the junior U.S. Senator from Wyoming
and a member of the Republican Party
. He was appointed to the Senate following Craig L. Thomas's death and won a special election in 2008 to fill the remaining four years of Thomas's term.
in 1952. He is a 1970 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Reading, PA. He began his college career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(where he became a member of Phi Kappa Tau
Fraternity) and transferred to Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
, graduating with a bachelor of science
degree in 1974. He also received his M.D.
degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine
in 1978. He conducted his residency
at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut
.
Council of Ethics and Judicial Affairs.
Barrasso was also a rodeo
physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association (and a member of the "Cowboy Joe Club") and volunteered as a team physician for Casper College as well as several local high schools. He has also been awarded the "Wyoming Physician of the Year." He has been awarded the "Medal of Excellence" by the Wyoming National Guard
for his services to the National Guard
as well. Barrasso also received the "Legislative Service Award" from the Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW) for his support of Wyoming's veterans.
in 1996
for the seat vacated by Alan K. Simpson
, the moderate Republican from Cody
. In 1996, Barrasso lost the primary election to Mike Enzi
, who now serves alongside Barrasso in the U.S. Senate. Enzi defeated Barrasso 33-32 percent in a seven-way primary.
Barrasso was elected to the Wyoming Senate
in 2002 and reelected in 2006. While in the Wyoming Senate, he was the Chairman of the Transportation and Highways Committee. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Casper
.
Governor Dave Freudenthal to replace the late U.S. Craig L. Thomas. Under state law, Freudenthal was able to consider only three individuals whose names were submitted to him by the Republican State Central Committee because the seat was vacated by a Republican. The rejected choices were former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis
of Cheyenne
and former Republican State Chairman and lobbyist Tom Sansonetti
, a former aide to Thomas. Matt Mead
, grandson of former Senator Clifford P. Hansen, had also sought the nomination but was eliminated by the central committee in fourth place. Mead later went on to be elected Governor of Wyoming in 2010. When he was appointed, Barrasso indicated that he would also run in the November 2008 special election to fill the remainder of Thomas's term. Barrasso eventually won that special election with more than 73 percent of the vote.
, was a candidate for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin
for the state's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
. The filing deadline in Wyoming was May 30, 2008, and as of that date Barrasso had not drawn a primary opponent. The Democratic nominee was Nick Carter, a lawyer from Gillette
. Pundits unanimously rated the race "Safe Republican." As expected, Barrasso won the general election in a landslide, garnering 73% of the vote.
; Emma, a graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
; and Hadley, a recent high school graduate. He is divorced from Linda Nix. On January 1, 2008, he married Bobbi Brown of Casper, Wyoming
.
, a nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization that brings young people to Washington, D.C. to learn about government. Barrasso is a member of the Casper Chamber of Commerce
and the Casper Rotary Club.
Barrasso is a perennial local host for the Jerry Lewis Telethon (with more than 20 years of service) and a frequent guest on Utah
Public Television and the Casper ABC
affiliate, KTWO-TV
, where he offers commentary on a wide range of medical topics. He is author of a regular newspaper column
, "Keeping Wyoming Healthy," and is particularly known for his senior and elder care including, among other things, writing a series of monthly articles on senior fitness, care, and prevention entitled, "Caring for Wyoming's Seniors."
survivor and at the time, the state director for Barrasso's state Senate offices, announced that they would marry. Once the two were engaged, Brown resigned her position in Barrasso's state Senate offices.
The two have known each other for 25 years and have been dating for five years. They had discussed marriage before, but Barrasso's recent appointment to the U.S. Senate underscored the need to tie the knot. They were married on January 1, 2008, with their children in attendance in Thermopolis.
Brown has a 16-year-old daughter, named Hadly, from a previous marriage. Barrasso has two children, Peter and Emma, from his previous marriage to Linda Nix.
, though in 1996 he ran for the Wyoming Senate as a pro-choice
, social moderate. During his career in the Wyoming Legislature
, he moved to the right on abortion
issues and sponsored legislation designed to provide restrictions on receiving the procedure. He has received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association
. According to a Washington Post survey, he has voted with Republicans 94 percent of the time.
Barrasso was quoted as saying, “I believe in limited government
, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control and a strong national defense,” and said he has “voted for prayer in schools
, against gay marriage and [has] sponsored legislation to protect the "sanctity of life".
Barasso joined Wyoming colleague Mike Enzi
in endorsing the nomination of Richard Honaker
of Rock Springs
to the U.S. District Court in Cheyenne. The nomination was pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2007 until Barack Obama
became president.
Barrasso opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
in December 2009, and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
.
Media coverage
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He was appointed to the Senate following Craig L. Thomas's death and won a special election in 2008 to fill the remaining four years of Thomas's term.
Early life
Barrasso was born in Reading, PennsylvaniaReading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
in 1952. He is a 1970 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Reading, PA. He began his college career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
(where he became a member of Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
Fraternity) and transferred to Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, graduating with a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in 1974. He also received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine, a medical school opened in 1851, is one of Georgetown University's five graduate schools. It is located on Reservoir Road in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, adjacent to the University's main campus...
in 1978. He conducted his residency
Residency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
.
Medical career
In addition to his private orthopedic practice, Barrasso was Chief of Staff of the Wyoming Medical Center, State President of the Wyoming Medical Society, President of the National Association of Physician Broadcasters, and a member of the American Medical AssociationAmerican Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
Council of Ethics and Judicial Affairs.
Barrasso was also a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association (and a member of the "Cowboy Joe Club") and volunteered as a team physician for Casper College as well as several local high schools. He has also been awarded the "Wyoming Physician of the Year." He has been awarded the "Medal of Excellence" by the Wyoming National Guard
Wyoming National Guard
The Wyoming Military Department is part of the Government of Wyoming. It's primary components are the Wyoming Army National Guard, and the Wyoming Air National Guard. The most important component of the Wyoming Air National Guard is the 153d Airlift Wing...
for his services to the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
as well. Barrasso also received the "Legislative Service Award" from the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
(VFW) for his support of Wyoming's veterans.
Early political career
Barrasso previously ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1996
United States Senate elections, 1996
The 1996 elections to the United States Senate coincided with the 1996 presidential election, in which Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore were reelected President and Vice President of the United States, respectively....
for the seat vacated by Alan K. Simpson
Alan K. Simpson
Alan Kooi Simpson is an American politician who served from 1979 to 1997 as a United States Senator from Wyoming as a member of the Republican Party. His father, Milward L. Simpson, was also a member of the U.S...
, the moderate Republican from Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
. In 1996, Barrasso lost the primary election to Mike Enzi
Mike Enzi
Michael Bradley "Mike" Enzi is the senior U.S. Senator from Wyoming and a member of the Republican Party.Raised in Thermopolis, Wyoming, Enzi attended George Washington University and the University of Denver. He expanded his father's shoe store business in Gillette before being elected mayor of...
, who now serves alongside Barrasso in the U.S. Senate. Enzi defeated Barrasso 33-32 percent in a seven-way primary.
Barrasso was elected to the Wyoming Senate
Wyoming Senate
The Wyoming Senate is the upper house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 30 Senators in the Senate, representing an equal amount of constituencies across Wyoming, each with a population of at least 17,000. The Senate meets at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne.Members of the Senate...
in 2002 and reelected in 2006. While in the Wyoming Senate, he was the Chairman of the Transportation and Highways Committee. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
.
Appointment
Barrasso was chosen on June 22, 2007, by DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Governor Dave Freudenthal to replace the late U.S. Craig L. Thomas. Under state law, Freudenthal was able to consider only three individuals whose names were submitted to him by the Republican State Central Committee because the seat was vacated by a Republican. The rejected choices were former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Republican Party. She previously served as a state representative , state senator , and state treasurer .-Early life:Lummis was born on September 10, 1954 in Cheyenne...
of Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
and former Republican State Chairman and lobbyist Tom Sansonetti
Tom Sansonetti
Thomas Lawrence Sansonetti, known as Tom Sansonetti , is an attorney and a government official from the U.S. state of Wyoming. He now resides in Greenwood Village, a suburb of Denver, Colorado....
, a former aide to Thomas. Matt Mead
Matt Mead
Matthew Hansen "Matt" Mead , is the 32nd and current Governor of Wyoming.-Early Life:Mead is the son of Peter Mead and Mary Hansen Mead , the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 1990, and the grandson of the late Governor and U.S. Senator Clifford P. Hansen...
, grandson of former Senator Clifford P. Hansen, had also sought the nomination but was eliminated by the central committee in fourth place. Mead later went on to be elected Governor of Wyoming in 2010. When he was appointed, Barrasso indicated that he would also run in the November 2008 special election to fill the remainder of Thomas's term. Barrasso eventually won that special election with more than 73 percent of the vote.
2008 election
Barrasso announced on May 19, 2008, that he would run in the general election in 2008 to serve the remainder of Thomas's term (though he had already stated that intention before his appointment). Tom Sansonetti, one of the three GOP nominees for Thomas's seat, said he would not challenge Barrasso for the seat in the 2008 primary. The other nominee, Cynthia LummisCynthia Lummis
Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Republican Party. She previously served as a state representative , state senator , and state treasurer .-Early life:Lummis was born on September 10, 1954 in Cheyenne...
, was a candidate for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin
Barbara Cubin
Barbara Lynn Cubin was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having served as the sole member of that body from Wyoming. In the 109th Congress, she was a member of the House Resources Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee...
for the state's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. The filing deadline in Wyoming was May 30, 2008, and as of that date Barrasso had not drawn a primary opponent. The Democratic nominee was Nick Carter, a lawyer from Gillette
Gillette, Wyoming
Gillette is a city in and the county seat of Campbell County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 29,087 in 2010. Gillette is a city centrally located in an area involved with the development of vast quantities of American coal, oil, and coal bed methane gas...
. Pundits unanimously rated the race "Safe Republican." As expected, Barrasso won the general election in a landslide, garnering 73% of the vote.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesThe United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
- Subcommittee on EnergyUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on EnergySenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on National ParksUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on National ParksSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Public Lands and ForestsUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on Public Lands and ForestsSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
(Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Committee on Environment and Public WorksUnited States Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure.-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on OversightUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on OversightThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Oversight is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:-Members, 111th Congress:...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Transportation and InfrastructureUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The subcommittee's jurisdiction includes:*Transportation...
- Subcommittee on Water and WildlifeUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and WildlifeThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:-Members, 111th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Oversight
- Committee on Foreign RelationsUnited States Senate Committee on Foreign RelationsThe United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. The Foreign Relations Committee is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid programs as...
- Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs
- Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific AffairsUnited States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific AffairsThe Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs is one of seven subcommittees of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues
- Committee on Indian AffairsUnited States Senate Committee on Indian AffairsThe Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is a committee of the United States Senate charged with oversight in matters related to the American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples. A Committee on Indian Affairs existed from 1820 to 1947, after which it was folded into the Committee on...
(Vice Chairman) - Impeachment Trial Committee on the Articles against Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.Thomas PorteousGabriel Thomas Porteous, Jr. is a former United States federal judge who served for sixteen years before being impeached and removed from office in December 2010.-Background:...
Family
Barrasso has three children — Peter, a graduate of Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
; Emma, a graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology , formerly Rose Polytechnic Institute, is a small private college specializing in teaching engineering, mathematics, and science. RHIT is highly regarded for its undergraduate engineering program, which US News and World Reports ranked in 2011 as No...
; and Hadley, a recent high school graduate. He is divorced from Linda Nix. On January 1, 2008, he married Bobbi Brown of Casper, Wyoming
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
.
Memberships
Barrasso is also a member of the Board of Directors of Presidential ClassroomPresidential classroom
The Presidential Classroom is a selective high school program in which students spend a week in Washington, D.C., at the Georgetown Marriott Conference Center at Georgetown University...
, a nonprofit, nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
organization that brings young people to Washington, D.C. to learn about government. Barrasso is a member of the Casper Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and the Casper Rotary Club.
Barrasso is a perennial local host for the Jerry Lewis Telethon (with more than 20 years of service) and a frequent guest on Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
Public Television and the Casper ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate, KTWO-TV
KTWO-TV
KTWO-TV is the ABC affiliate television station for most of the state of Wyoming. It is licensed to Casper owned by Silverton Broadcasting. The station broadcasts on digital channel 17, which redirects to former analog channel 2 via PSIP...
, where he offers commentary on a wide range of medical topics. He is author of a regular newspaper column
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, "Keeping Wyoming Healthy," and is particularly known for his senior and elder care including, among other things, writing a series of monthly articles on senior fitness, care, and prevention entitled, "Caring for Wyoming's Seniors."
Marriage
On August 11, 2007, during Cheyenne's annual Race for the Cure, Barrasso and Bobbi Brown, herself a breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
survivor and at the time, the state director for Barrasso's state Senate offices, announced that they would marry. Once the two were engaged, Brown resigned her position in Barrasso's state Senate offices.
The two have known each other for 25 years and have been dating for five years. They had discussed marriage before, but Barrasso's recent appointment to the U.S. Senate underscored the need to tie the knot. They were married on January 1, 2008, with their children in attendance in Thermopolis.
Brown has a 16-year-old daughter, named Hadly, from a previous marriage. Barrasso has two children, Peter and Emma, from his previous marriage to Linda Nix.
Political views
Barrasso is considered a conservativeAmerican conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
, though in 1996 he ran for the Wyoming Senate as a pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, social moderate. During his career in the Wyoming Legislature
Wyoming Legislature
The Wyoming State Legislature is the legislative branch of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is a bicameral state legislature, consisting of a 60 member Wyoming House of Representatives, and a 30 member Wyoming Senate. The legislature meets at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne...
, he moved to the right on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
issues and sponsored legislation designed to provide restrictions on receiving the procedure. He has received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
. According to a Washington Post survey, he has voted with Republicans 94 percent of the time.
Barrasso was quoted as saying, “I believe in limited government
Limited government
Limited government is a government which anything more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is generally disallowed by law, usually in a written constitution. It is written in the United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 8...
, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control and a strong national defense,” and said he has “voted for prayer in schools
School prayer
School prayer in its common usage refers to state-approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited...
, against gay marriage and [has] sponsored legislation to protect the "sanctity of life".
Barasso joined Wyoming colleague Mike Enzi
Mike Enzi
Michael Bradley "Mike" Enzi is the senior U.S. Senator from Wyoming and a member of the Republican Party.Raised in Thermopolis, Wyoming, Enzi attended George Washington University and the University of Denver. He expanded his father's shoe store business in Gillette before being elected mayor of...
in endorsing the nomination of Richard Honaker
Richard Honaker
Richard Henderson Honaker is a lawyer in Rock Springs, Wyoming who was nominated on March 19, 2007, by U.S. President George W. Bush to serve as one of three U.S. District Judges for the District of Wyoming. The nomination was given the highest "well qualified" rating by the judicial evaluation...
of Rock Springs
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 18,708 at the 2000 census. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975....
to the U.S. District Court in Cheyenne. The nomination was pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2007 until Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
became president.
Barrasso opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in December 2009, and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...
.
Election history
Sources
- Wyoming Senate Members Site
- Health Grades (Medical Research Site)
- National Science Bowl 2006
- CSN News
- Unique Opportunities Magazine for Physicians May 2000
- Barrasso Official Statement
- Project Vote Smart-Interest Group Ratings
External links
- United States Senator John Barrasso official U.S. Senate site
- Casper Orthopaedic Associates
Media coverage
- Video Interview with John Barrasso, Casper Star Tribune, April 10, 2007
- Wyo. Governor Appoints New U.S. Senator Bob Moes, ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, June 22, 2007 - PC Alumnus John Barrasso New U.S. Senator from Wyoming Presidential Classroom, June 22, 2007
- Wyoming's New Senator Rita Healy and P.G. Sittenfeld, Time Magazine, June 22, 2007
- A Profile of Wyoming's New Senator Elsa Heidorn, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
All Things ConsideredAll Things ConsideredAll Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, June 23, 2007 - Is a Flu Pandemic Coming? John A. Barrasso, MD, Laramie County Senior Services
- Barrasso Application for Vacant Senate Seat 2007