- Senator John Barrasso is a solidly conservative Republican who advocates for energy development, state-led regulation, strong national security, and traditional social values. His bias score of approximately +6.5 (Right) reflects a strong alignment with core GOP and Western-state conservative priorities. His factual rating remains Mixed due to a few failed fact checks in the last 5 years.
Senator John Barrasso, M.D.
State: Wyoming
Title and Term: U.S. Senator (Appointed 2007 – Present; Reelected 2024)
Political Party: Republican
Bias Rating: Right (6.5)
Factual Rating: Mixed (3.0)
Career & Background
Early Life & Education: Born July 21, 1952, in Reading, Pennsylvania; earned B.S. and M.D. from Georgetown University; completed orthopedic residency at Yale, then practiced in Wyoming for 24 years; served as president of the Wyoming Medical Society.
Political Career: Served in the Wyoming State Senate (2003–2007); appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2007, later won full terms in 2008, 2012, 2018, and reelected in 2024 with over 75% vote.
Leadership Roles: Held top Senate GOP roles: Chair of the Republican Policy Committee, Conference Chair, and, as of 2025, Senate Majority Whip—the second-highest GOP leadership position.
Policy Positions & Legislative Focus
- Energy & Environment: Co-introduced a bipartisan bill to accelerate permitting of energy, transmission, mining, and LNG export projects—supporting both renewable infrastructure and expanded fossil fuel development; critics call it a “wishlist for the fossil industry” that weakens environmental safeguards.
- National Security & Technology: Demanded that the DOE cease AI research collaborations with entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party, citing national security risks and intellectual property concerns.
- Social & Economic Policy: Opposes abortion rights (100% rating from National Right to Life), supports Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act, votes against expanding Social Security/Medicare funding, supports income tax reductions, and scored 92% from National Tax Limitation Committee.
- Resource Management & State Sovereignty: Advocated for requiring federal agencies to follow state water law and limits on federal regulatory reach, reflecting a Western States sovereignty approach.
Failed Fact Checks
- “I’ve gotten more letters in the last two weeks on one component of this, which is the issue of giving a whole new army of IRS agents to rifle through your checking account, to look at any check that you either deposit or write for over $600. This is an invasion of privacy.” – Misleading
- Joe Biden will never veto a bill. – Misleading
- “[W]ith this bill, they’re going to people in prison, they’re going to people who are illegal immigrants, they’re going to people who make much more money than you would expect people to actually need relief or help at this point.” – Mostly False
Political Alignment (Calculated)
Economic System: +7 (pro-fossil fuels, regulatory rollback, tax cuts)
Social Progressive vs. Traditional: +6 (conservative on abortion, state sovereignty, national security)
Composite Score: (7 + 6) / 2 = +6.5 → Right
Factual Rating (Calculated)
Failed Fact Checks: 3 documented by IFCN fact-checkers → Mixed
Overall Rating
Senator John Barrasso is a solidly conservative Republican who advocates for energy development, state-led regulation, strong national security, and traditional social values. His bias score of approximately +6.5 (Right) reflects a strong alignment with core GOP and Western-state conservative priorities. His factual rating remains Mixed due to a few failed fact checks in the last 5 years.
Sources
- Official Senate Page – https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/
- Britannica – https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Barrasso
- VoteSmart — Issue Positions – https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/52662/john-barrasso
- AP News (Election & Priorities) – https://apnews.com/article/d43432a594d04161ff4feab34d487f9b
- Reuters (Energy Bill) – https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-senators-introduce-bill-speed-approvals-energy-projects-2024-07-22/
- The Guardian (Environmental Criticism) – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/31/energy-reform-bill-senate
- New York Post (AI & China) – https://nypost.com/2024/03/26/gop-senator-demands-bidens-energy-department-end-ai-research-collaborations-with-china/
(Scoring method per MBFC Methodology.)
Last Updated on August 25, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check