John Barrasso

John Anthony Barrasso III (born July 21, 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Wyoming and a member of the Republican Party. He was appointed to the Senate in June 2007, 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, education, and medical career
Barrasso was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1952, the son of Louise M. (née DeCisco) and John Anthony Barrasso, Jr. He is of Italian descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Reading, PA. Barrasso 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.

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 Association 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. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Casper.

1996 U.S. Senate election
Barrasso previously ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1996 for the seat vacated by Republican U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson. In 1996, Barrasso lost the primary election to Mike Enzi, 32%-30% in a seven candidate election.

Elections
Barrasso was elected to the Wyoming Senate unopposed in 2002 and won re-election unopposed in 2006.

Committee assignments
He was the Chairman of the Transportation and Highways Committee.

U.S. Senate
Barrasso was chosen on June 22, 2007, by Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal to replace Senator Craig L. Thomas, who died earlier in the month. 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 others 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, and Lummis was elected to Congress in 2008. 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.

Barrasso opposed the CIA's creation of its Center on Climate Change and National Security.

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 Lummis, 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.

Tenure
Barrasso is considered a conservative, though in 1996 he ran for the U.S. 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". He is not a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

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.

In 2011, Barrasso introduced a bill that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting carbon dioxide emissions.

Committee assignments

 * Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy'''
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests (Ranking Member)
 * Committee on Environment and Public Works
 * Subcommittee on Oversight (Ranking Member)
 * Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife
 * Committee on Foreign Relations
 * 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 Affairs
 * Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues
 * Committee on Indian Affairs (Vice Chairman)
 * Impeachment Trial Committee on the Articles against Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.

Family
Barrasso has three children — Peter, a graduate of Georgetown University; 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.

Memberships
Barrasso is also a member of the Board of Directors of Presidential Classroom, 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."

Marriage
On August 11, 2007, during Cheyenne's annual Race for the Cure, Barrasso and Bobbi Brown, herself a breast cancer 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. 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.

Election history
= Resources =