John Barrasso

Infobox Senator
name=John Barrasso


jr/sr=Junior Senator
state=Wyoming
party=Republican
term_start=June 252007
alongside=Mike Enzi
preceded=Craig Thomas
succeeded=
date of birth= birth date and age|1952|07|21
place of birth=Reading, Pennsylvania
residence= Casper, Wyoming
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Linda Nix (divorced)
Bobbi Brown
children=Peter Barrasso
Emma Barrasso
Hadley Barrasso
alma_mater=Georgetown University
religion=Presbyterian
profession=Orthopedic surgeon
website = [http://barrasso.senate.gov/public/ U.S. Senator John Barrasso]

John Anthony Barrasso (born July 21, 1952) is a Republican senator from Wyoming. He was appointed by Governor Dave Freudenthal to succeed the late Craig L. Thomas. He took office on June 25, 2007.

Early life and family

In 1974, Barrasso graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with a bachelor of science degree. 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. He is divorced from Linda Nix. On January 1, 2008 he married Bobbi Brown of Casper, Wyoming after five years of dating.

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, who was pro-choice. In 1996, Barrasso lost the primary election to the pro-life advocate 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. Although Thomas's term would have ended in January 2013, Barrasso's appointment is only until the November 2008 special election results are certified, the victor of that election to fill the remainder of Thomas's term. When he lobbied for the position in June 2007, Barrasso stated that if appointed he would run for the balance of Thomas's term in office. Enzi will face voters for a third full term in the same election cycle.

Committee Assignments

*Committee on Environment and Public Works
**Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection
**Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children's Health Protection
**Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health (Ranking Member)
*Committee on Foreign Relations
*Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
**Subcommittee on National Parks
**Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests (Ranking Member)
**Subcommittee on Water and Power
*Committee on Indian Affairs

2008 U.S. Senate Special Election

Barrasso announced on May 19, 2008 that he will 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 will not challenge Barrasso for the seat in the 2008 primary. The other nominee, Cynthia Lummis, is 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. Two Democratic candidates filed to run for the seat.

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.

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".

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 will marry. Once the two were engaged, Brown resigned her position in Barrasso's senate office. [ [http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0807/Sen_Barrasso_announces_his_engagement.html The Crypt's Blog - Politico.com ] ]

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. [ [http://barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=41c3f84b-06c9-6d39-1657-0642633d3590&Region_id=&Issue_id= U.S. Senator John Barrasso Press Office] ]

Brown has a 16-year old daughter from a previous marriage, while Barrasso has two children from his previous marriage to Linda Nix. [ [http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/08/13/news/wyoming/cef35318ad30cca6872573360003acff.txt Casper Star-Tribune Online - Wyoming ] ]

Political views

Barrasso is considered a conservative, though in 1996 he ran for senate as a pro-choice, social moderate. [ [http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/06/new_conservative_wyoming_senator_has_prochoice_past.php Article of Barrasso's Abortion stance] ] 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 Washington Post survey, he has voted with Republicans 94% of the time. [ [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=52662 Project Vote Smart-Interest Group Ratings] ]

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”. [cite web |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20070622-1123-wyomingsenator.html |title=Wyoming governor appoints GOP state Sen. John Barrasso to replace late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas |publisher=SignOnSanDiego.com |author=Bob Moen |date=22 June 2007]

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.

Footnotes

ources

* [http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2006/members/s27.htm Wyoming Senate Members Site]
* [http://www.healthgrades.com/directory_search/physician/profiles/dr-md-reports/Dr-John-Barrasso-MD-809D1388.cfm Health Grades (Medical Research Site)]
* [http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/pdf/06_NSBPRogram_Web.pdf National Science Bowl 2006]
* [http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200602%5CCUL20060213a.html CSN News]
* [http://www.uoworks.com/pdfs/cp/CASPER.pdf "Unique Opportunities Magazine for Physicians" May 2000]
* [http://www.wygop.org/images/WY/SpecialElectionCandidates/Barrasso.pdf Barrasso Official Statement]
* [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=52662 Project Vote Smart-Interest Group Ratings]

External links

* [http://barrasso.senate.gov United States Senator John Barrasso] , U.S. Senate site
* [http://www.barrasso2008.com John Barrasso, U.S. Senate 2008] , official campaign website
* [http://www.wyoortho.com/ Casper Orthopaedic Associates]

;Media coverage
* [http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1636439,00.html Wyoming's New Senator] Rita Healy and P.G. Sittenfeld, "Time Magazine", June 22, 2007
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11331013 A Profile of Wyoming's New Senator] Elsa Heidorn, NPR All Things Considered, June 23, 2007
* [http://www.casperstartribune.net/video/video.php?v=barrassoFLV Video Interview with John Barrasso] , "Casper Star Tribune", April 10, 2007
* [http://www.lcseniorservices.com/Dr.Barrasso.htm Is a Flu Pandemic Coming?] John A. Barrasso, MD, "Laramie County Senior Services"
* [http://www.presidentialclassroom.org/content/news/article.asp?id=581 PC Alumnus John Barrasso New U.S. Senator from Wyoming] "Presidential Classroom", June 22, 2007
* [http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3306551 Wyo. Governor Appoints New U.S. Senator] Bob Moes, ABC News, June 22, 2007
* [http://www.wygop.org/images/WY/SpecialElectionCandidates/Barrasso.pdf Barrasso Application for Vacant Senate Seat 2007]