John Barrasso

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Barrasso
United States Senator from Wyoming
Incumbent
Assumed office  June 25, 2007 Serving with Mike Enzi
Preceded by	Craig Thomas
Born	July 21, 1952 (1952-07-21) (age 56) Reading, Pennsylvania
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Linda Nix (divorced) Bobbi Brown
Children	Peter Barrasso Emma Barrasso Hadley Barrasso
Residence	Casper, Wyoming
Alma mater	Georgetown University
Profession	Orthopedic surgeon
Religion	Presbyterian
Website	U.S. Senator John Barrasso

John Anthony Barrasso (born July 21, 1952) is a Republican United States senator from Wyoming. He was appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal to succeed the late Craig L. Thomas, taking office on June 25, 2007. He won a special election in 2008 to fill the remaining four years of Thomas's term.

[edit] Early life and family

Sen. Barrasso was born in Reading, PA in 1952. 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.

Barrasso has three children — Peter, a junior at Georgetown University, Emma, a sophomore at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Hadley a sophomore in high school^[1]. He is divorced from Linda Nix. On January 1, 2008 he married Bobbi Brown of Casper, Wyoming.

[edit] Political career

Barrasso previously ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the Senate in 1996 for the seat vacated by the moderate Alan K. Simpson of 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 7-way primary.

Barrasso was elected to the Wyoming State Senate in 2002 and re-elected 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.

Barrasso was chosen on June 22, 2007, by Democratic Governor Freudenthal to replace the late Senator Craig L. Thomas. Freudenthal was, under Wyoming law, 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 Thomas aide. When he was appointed, Barrasso promised to 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% of the vote.

[edit] 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)

[edit] 2008 U.S. Senate Special Election

Barrasso announced on May 19, 2008 that he would run in the 2008 election 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 Congresswoman Barbara Cubin for the state's at-large House seat. 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 of Gillette. Pundits unanimously rated the race "Safe Republican." As expected, Barrasso won the general election in a landslide, garnering 73% of the vote.

[edit] Medical career

In addition to his private practice, Barrasso is 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 is also a rodeo physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association (and a member of the "Cowboy Joe Club") and volunteers as a team physician for Casper College as well as several local high schools. He has been awarded the "Wyoming Physician of the Year." He has also been awarded the "Medal of Excellence" by the Wyoming National Guard for his services to the National Guard. Dr. Barrasso also received the "Legislative Service Award" from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for his support of Wyoming's veterans.

[edit] Other activities

He is also a member of the board of directors of Presidential Classroom, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings young people to Washington to learn about the 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' 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".

[edit] Marriage to Bobbi Brown

On August 11, 2007, during Cheyenne's annual Race for the Cure, Barrasso and Bobbi Brown, herself a breast cancer survivor and the state director for Barrasso's senate office, announced that they would marry. Once the two were engaged, Brown resigned her position in Barrasso's senate office.^[2]

The two have known each other for twenty-five 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.^[3]

Brown has a 16-year old daughter from a previous marriage, while Barrasso has two children from his previous marriage to Linda Nix.^[4]

[edit] Political views

Barrasso is considered a conservative, though in 1996 he ran for senate as a pro-choice, social moderate.^[5] 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% of the time.^[6]

He has said “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”.^[7]

Barasso joined Wyoming colleague Michael B. Enzi in endorsing the nomination of Richard Honaker of Rock Springs to the U.S. District Court in Cheyenne. The selection has been pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee since 2007.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] 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

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Barrasso

• United States Senator John Barrasso, U.S. Senate site
• John Barrasso, U.S. Senate 2008, official campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
• Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
• Casper Orthopaedic Associates

Media coverage

• Wyoming's New Senator Rita Healy and P.G. Sittenfeld, Time Magazine, June 22, 2007
• A Profile of Wyoming's New Senator Elsa Heidorn, NPR All Things Considered, June 23, 2007
• Video Interview with John Barrasso, Casper Star Tribune, April 10, 2007
• Is a Flu Pandemic Coming? John A. Barrasso, MD, Laramie County Senior Services
• PC Alumnus John Barrasso New U.S. Senator from Wyoming Presidential Classroom, June 22, 2007
• Wyo. Governor Appoints New U.S. Senator Bob Moes, ABC News, June 22, 2007
• Barrasso Application for Vacant Senate Seat 2007

v • d • e United States Senators from Wyoming Class 1 Warren · Clark · Kendrick · O'Mahoney · Barrett · McGee · Wallop · Thomas · Barrasso Class 2 J. Carey · Warren · Sullivan · R. Carey · Schwartz · Robertson · Hunt · Crippa · O'Mahoney · Hickey · M. Simpson · Hansen · A. Simpson · Enzi