Until Thursday, Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, a physician and the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, had been silent on the implosion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired last week — less than a month after President Donald Trump had appointed her to lead the agency — and several CDC leaders subsequently resigned in protest, Barrasso remained mum.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, also a physician and chair of the Senate’s health committee, quickly called for “oversight” of the “high-profile departures.”
Then on Thursday, Barrasso joined the fray when the Senate’s Finance Committee grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his leadership and approach to vaccine policy.
“Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” Barrasso said.
“Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.”
The comment was notable, as Barrasso has, up until now, avoided criticizing Trump administration appointees and policies.
During a 24-year career as an orthopedic surgeon, Barrasso came to be known as “Wyoming’s Doctor,” often making guest appearances on one of Casper’s local TV news stations. And he’s offered his medical perspectives since becoming a senator, including advocating for use of COVID vaccines in 2020.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Thursday, Monarez said Kennedy pressured her to resign or “face termination” after she refused to comply with “troubling directives” from Kennedy. That included rubber stamping recommendations of a “vaccine advisory panel newly filled with people who have publicly expressed antivaccine rhetoric,” Monarez wrote.
After Kennedy built his reputation and fortune advocating against vaccines, he reassured lawmakers during his confirmation hearings that he would not limit access to vaccines.
Barrasso backed him at the time. At Thursday’s hearing, Barrasso backed vaccines.
“Over the last 50 years, vaccines are estimated to have saved 154 million lives worldwide,” Barrasso said. “I support vaccines. I’m a doctor. Vaccines work.”
Barrasso also said the National Institute of Health’s questioning of the use of mRNA vaccines, a national measles outbreak and the loss of leadership at the CDC is eroding public trust.
“Americans don’t know who to rely on,” Barrasso said.
He also noted that later this month the CDC’s revamped vaccine panel will meet to discuss childhood recommendations.
“Parents and physicians depend upon this guidance to make decisions and to keep kids safe,” Barrasso said, adding that he’s concerned “safe, proven vaccines, like measles, like Hepatitis B and others, could be in jeopardy, and that would put Americans at risk and reverse decades of progress.”
Barrasso’s newfound criticism of a Trump appointee did little to impress the Wyoming Democratic Party, which released a statement Friday calling on the congressman to “shove it.”
“John Barrasso is craven, but he’s not stupid,” the party said in a statement. “After all, he is a doctor. He knew exactly who and what he was voting to confirm — he just values his political career more than the lives of his constituents.”
The three-hour-long hearing often grew combative, even boiling over at times into a shouting match between Kennedy and Democratic lawmakers.
Kennedy told New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan she was “just making stuff up,” accused Monarez of being a liar, defended his tenure and showed no sign of slowing down on his makeover of the country’s top health agency.
“We are the sickest country in the world. That’s why we have to fire people at CDC. They did not do their job. This was their job to keep us healthy,” Kennedy said. “And I need to fire some of those people to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
While pointed in their questions, GOP lawmakers stopped short of asking for Kennedy’s resignation.
Following the hearing, Barrasso was asked by reporters twice if he supports Kennedy, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“I support the president,” Barrasso responded.
To make a statement that you feel blessed not to have been ”cursed” with him as a physician exposes your ignorance of him as a physician and orthopedic surgeon. I was blessed to see his work as both. As an R.N. taking care of his post surgical patients in the early 90s in Casper I can attest to his expertise and his caring. Not only for his patients but the staff caring for them! Having said this my disappointment regarding his performance as a politician is likely deeper than most! Frankly, I’m angry as hell. He needs to be gone and the sooner the better!
Senator Bill Cassidy demanded during RFK’s spring confirmation hearings that CDC vax recommendations would only be revised based on ‘peer reviewed, consensus based, widely accepted science’. Oh so warm and fuzzy. I’m tingly all over thinking the status quo and Big Pharma cash flows are so well protected. RFK responded with ‘Absolutely. I’ll rely on evidenced based science’. And there you have it … the massive disconnect that’s now glaring at us all.
Might be worth reading again RFK’s WSJ editorial outlining why he was compelled to clean out all 17 corrupted ACIP members and start over with all new members not totally compromised by Pharma for decades.
https://archive.is/20250614035516/https://www.wsj.com/opinion/rfk-jr-hhs-moves-to-restore-public-trust-in-vaccines-45495112
I mean, if government is going to force me to inject my kids with whatever Pharma can profit most from, by golly why should I have any say whatsoever and request some level of fact based science be the determinant factor outside Pharma’s profit margins? 90+ injections aren’t NEAR enough. We want MORE! Maybe 190, 290, more must always be better.
But oops … evil RFK’s HAVA report digs up those nasty little facts again. Our kids are a basket case of ill health, the worst in the world. There’s absolutely No reason we should even contemplate questioning ANYTHING we’re doing. By the late 2030’s, every kid in America will be autistic and also diabetic at the current growth rates. Naw, nothing to worry about here, just keep swimming, just keep swimming ….
https://www.whitehouse.gov/maha/
P Fox: 1 in 45 adults are thought to have ASD, boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. In the U.S., autism prevalence is lower among white children than other racial and ethnic groups. So, having said that I chose to ignore Kennedys ramblings, and yours. It’s OK, you can believe whatever you want, but I’m not drinking your Kool-aid.
Hell hath no fury like a Republican Senator who is “deeply concerned”. Wyoming now our own Susan Collins. Maybe next week, Dr. John will express “some misgivings”.
John, just a short reminder. You were elected to support the people of Wyoming, not the President
Barrasso imitates trump, he hasn’t had an original thought in years. He’s a doctor he never should have approved Kennedy. Now he’s fence sitting, let’s give him a push.
Bow wow! Trump’s poodle supports Trump despite his medical training and the fact that everybody (including he) knows that Kennedy is a fool and a danger to society. Thank god I was never cursed with this guy as a physician.
Too little, too late, John. You had to know this was going to happen. Kennedy has been very vocal about his feelings and policies for quite a long time. And yet you voted to confirm him.
So, by answering, “I support the President,” Barrasso is saying I stand behind his appointee, RFK, Jr.
Ooooh–baby steps into perilous Liz Cheney territory, senator. Politician Barrasso made his calculated remarks right after a national poll came out saying about 90% of Americans support vaccination. A truly concerned doctor would never have supported charlatan Kennedy’s nomination in the first place. Now Barrasso should put his political capital where his mouth went: support the CDC and its sacked and fleeing employees. Tell buddy Trump that Kennedy must be fired immediately before trust in medical institutions is completely gone. Express strong support for mRNA vaccine research, for NIH and universities that are being stripped of their science research funding. Support Medicaid, which was looted for tax cuts for the rich. In short, obey his Hippocratic Oath and do no harm.
While I’m busy dreaming, why not support science in general? Start by opposing political appointees who deny and fight climate science, and those who are busy stripping environmental protections. Unfortunately, I fear Barrasso’s last statement, “I support the president,” shows his true colors.
Another prime example of the hypocrisy of our congressional coward, Senator John Barrasso. Just like convicted felon Donald Trump, Barrasso knew that convicted felon and former mainline heroin addict Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was unfit and unqualified to serve as HHS Secretary. But congressional coward and Trump’s faithful boot licking lap dog John Barrasso fully supported and voted for the confirmation and appointment of RFK, Jr. to serve as HHS Secretary, thus jeopardizing the safety, health and lives of millions of Americans. DINO (doctor in name only) John Barrasso should be calling for the immediate resignation of RFK, Jr. but we know the coward won’t for fear of offending his master, Donald J. Trump.
Barrasso’s final comment says it all. He supports the president, not the people. He knew when he voted to confirm RFK Jr. that he was voting for a hardcore anit-vaxer, and now the chickens have come home to roost. Leopards are eating faces and he voted for one. I know it is some time before Barrasso is up for re-election but remember this when that time comes, he needs to go.
Ah Johnnie… we hardly knew ya; all covered with dust, leading from behind.
I applaud Senator Barrasso’s support for vaccines, but his “I support the president” statement is more telling. Barrasso voted to confirm Secretary Kennedy even though the latter’s wacko views on vaccines were well known at the time, because Kennedy was President Trump’s nominee. He voted for the Trump’s Big Beautiful Boondoggle that will result in thousands of Wyomingites losing their health care coverage, and has supported Trump’s vicious cuts to medical research, without which we have no new treatments or cures. Are these the actions of a doctor, or a career politician?
What Dr, Barrasso does not point out is how many people have died, are sick and are going to die because of the effects of vaccines that were not properly researched before they were given to thousands and thousands. That is a minor detail that Dr. Barrasso, a politician, left out.
You’re delusional. You “i done did my own research” folks are clowns to the extreme.
“Doing your own research”, funny how simply reading and having an inkling of independent thought has been so demonized by those fully invested in an official narrative pushed by Big Pharma based Govt./Media .
chad/jack/doug
reading facebook memes and posts is NOT doing research. which is where most of you people get your information.
do you also pretend to be chancy brown as well? again, how many other accounts do you use here at wyofile?
Good morning, Wyoming AMERICAN neighbors and WYOFILE for the fortitude to exercise the FIRST AMENDMENT on such a controversial profession of a certain criteria.
This article begs me to ask has the swamp/NWO/NEW TERMINOLOGY gotten bigger/smaller or getting more comfortable with yeilding power?
What technique/strategy word work to overthrow “We the people” of this Republic? What would be a palatable technique to speak, for all to accept a sanitization of a Republic form of government to numbed enough to ensure the building block cornerstone for democracy to begin it’s reign?
Within this sanitization there’s going to be some blood spilled while evacuating the tissue … What would that look like on a national and State level of operational deployment? What role would the constituency (“We the people”) have during that operational deployment? Who is monitoring the heart beat of the/this Republic or are we already going down the path of a Democracy “recovery” and “We the people” through history KNOW what happened/happens to the population once the Democracy has blossomed to what is the final goal?
Is “We the people” viewing a squirmish or a full-fledged battle taking place and not a single “shot” fired? BUT instead a shot of vaccine debate? UNITED there is strength, divided we fail/fall and the Republic will only be what IS AMERICAN/AMERICA, SEMPER FI!
This is gibberish.
John B may be a “Johnny come lately” when it comes to Kennedy’s appointment, but I appreciate his comments at the Senate committee hearing and I hope it leads JFK Jr.’s departure. It could not come soon enough. He has already done so much damage.
Don’t give him any credit. This is all about him. He has damaged Wyoming and America. Remove him from office. Don’t be a sucker.
Trump picked idiots in all he’s administration he is the worst president since Lyndon Johnson and the most crooked. Good to see Barasso waving the bullshit flag .
Did Barrasso finally find his spine? IMHO the answer is barely. He still has his fair share of responsibility for this disaster. He still voted to acquit on two impeachment charges. He still voted to approve all his cabinet nominees – the least qualified and most corrupt cabinet in USA history. He still fully supports a felon, self confessed sexual predator, tax cheat, charity defrauder, serial liar, insurrectionist. He has a long way to go before he absolves himself.
Sorry but saying he is “deeply concerned” is a big joke. Barrasso that is.
He has remained mum on every single thing this current President has done and is truly beholden to the ring. Teton county is still waiting for a Town Hall. Barrasso has come here multiple times in August for private events but never wants to spend time with the public.
Why is that? I say he is afraid.
The only reason Barrasso goes to Teton County is to refill his campaign coffers. Years ago I saw it for myself, him having lunch with a lady in a full length mink coat. It couldn’t have been more obvious what he was up to. Believe it or not there a lots of right wingers in Jackson.
Are you not entertained?
““Americans don’t know who to rely on,” Barrasso said.” How true. However, It is fairly easy to decide who not to rely on. Barrasso is clearly one such unreliable source – he will say anything to maintain power, status, and moneyed support. He and the GOP attack, harass, fire and defund information sources that don’t regurgitate their (even way crazy) renditions of reality. Takes a little effort to wade thru the BS these days. Accepting Fox News, GOP talking points, Bobby Jr’s and the real estate promoter’s assertions is easier. I’m struck over and over again how fellow WY residents present verbatim narratives from these sources as their own self-developed ideas and assessments. However, not too hard to decide therefore they, like Barrasso, are unreliable sources. It is not too good that most WY residents take the easy route while claiming thoughtfulness.
though maybe he had a spine, until his last quote!
This is the only thing I’ve seen Barrasso do RIGHT!
There can still be miracles!
So maybe a little conscious is seeping through?
Unbelievable that he cannot just say something of consequence.
Remember the senator signed the Hippocratic oath when he became a Physician, So the Senator knows that supporting JFK Junior action would be violating the do no harm clause. The Senator understands science and medicine. Senator Barrasso knows the implications of Wyomingites and US citizens falling back into the dark ages.
His Hippocritic Oath has superseded the Hippocratic Oath.
Best wishes go out to Senator Barrasso as he convalesces. The process of recalcifying a missing backbone can be a long and arduous journey. I am hopeful that with a little perseverance he may even regain the strength to be able to stand on his own two feet again.
Barrasso was all in for this guy, along with the rest of chumps misfits and goofballs. Now he’s concerned that the public sees through it all. Same with the other two low IQ ‘Reps”. Typical Barrasso behavior. He was perfectly willing to sacrifice the health and wellbeing of his constituents. A 15 year old kid wouldn’t have OKED this kook.