1. John Anthony Barrasso III is an American physician and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wyoming.
42 Facts About John Barrasso
1. 2.
Currently in his fourth term, Barrasso has held his seat since 2007.
3.
John Barrasso conducted his medical residency at Yale University before moving to Wyoming and beginning a private orthopedics practice in Casper.
4.
John Barrasso first ran for US Senate in 1996, narrowly losing the Republican primary to Mike Enzi.
5.
John Barrasso was elected to finish Thomas's term in 2008 and won his first full term in 2012.
6.
In 2018, John Barrasso was selected as chair of the Senate Republican Conference.
7.
John Barrasso has been the dean of Wyoming's congressional delegation since 2021, when Enzi retired from the Senate.
8.
John Barrasso's father was a cement finisher who had a ninth-grade education.
9.
John Barrasso is a third-generation Italian-American with paternal grandparents from Carife and maternal grandparents from Vasto.
10.
John Barrasso is a graduate of the former Central Catholic High School, which later merged with Holy Name High School to form Berks Catholic High School.
11.
John Barrasso attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for two years and joined the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
12.
John Barrasso graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
13.
In 1983, after completing his residency at Yale, John Barrasso moved to Wyoming with his then-wife, Linda Nix.
14.
John Barrasso joined a private orthopedic practice in Casper and for a time was the Wyoming Medical Center's chief of staff.
15.
John Barrasso was a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Casper from 1983 to 2007.
16.
John Barrasso has served as president of the Wyoming Medical Society.
17.
John Barrasso was a rodeo physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and volunteered as a team physician for Casper College and several local high schools.
18.
John Barrasso was elected to the Wyoming Senate unopposed in 2002 and reelected unopposed in 2006.
19.
John Barrasso represented Wyoming's 27th Senate District, including part of Casper.
20.
On June 22,2007, Governor Dave Freudenthal appointed Barrasso to replace Senator Craig L Thomas, who had died in office earlier that month.
21.
John Barrasso won the Republican nomination for the balance of Thomas's third term.
22.
John Barrasso ran for reelection to a first full term in 2012.
23.
At the time of his appointment to the US Senate in 2007, John Barrasso was quoted as saying on his application: "I believe in limited government, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control and a strong national defense"; he said that he had "voted for prayer in schools, against gay marriage and [had] sponsored legislation to protect the sanctity of life".
24.
In 2018, John Barrasso was selected as chair of the Senate Republican Conference.
25.
When John Barrasso ran for the 1996 Republican nomination for US Senate, he presented himself as a supporter of abortion rights.
26.
John Barrasso has voted to prohibit federal funding for abortion.
27.
John Barrasso voted with 40 Republicans and five Democrats to stop the bill.
28.
John Barrasso voted against the Affordable Care Act in December 2009, and against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
29.
John Barrasso was part of a group of 13 senators that drafted the Senate version of the American Health Care Act of 2017, an Obamacare repeal bill that failed to pass.
30.
John Barrasso was a leading opponent of President Barack Obama's climate change policies.
31.
John Barrasso opposed the CIA's creation of its Center on Climate Change and National Security in 2009.
32.
In September 2020, John Barrasso supported a measure to dramatically limit the use of hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigerants and other applications that have contributed to global warming.
33.
In November 2022, John Barrasso criticized China's "developing country advantage" in international climate agreements, arguing that China is given unfair privileges in climate agreements that do not reflect its economic growth.
34.
In November 2024, after Trump nominated fracking magnate Chris Wright for secretary of energy, John Barrasso called Wright an "energy innovator".
35.
John Barrasso opposed the FIRST STEP Act, legislation which sought to reform the federal prison system.
36.
On May 28,2021, John Barrasso voted against creating the January 6 commission.
37.
In November 2021, John Barrasso refused to condemn Trump for defending January 6 rioters who called for Pence's death.
38.
John Barrasso was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
39.
John Barrasso has an "F" rating from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws for his history regarding cannabis-related causes.
40.
John Barrasso was known for being an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.
41.
John Barrasso is a member of the board of directors of Presidential Classroom, and a member of the Casper Chamber of Commerce.
42.
John Barrasso identifies as a member of the Presbyterian Church.