Barrasso discusses borders, balloons with Worland senior citizens

WORLAND - U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) discussed a number of issues from the border to spy balloons with Worland residents at the Worland Senior Center on Monday, Feb. 20.

He said he comes back to Wyoming every weekend to visit communities around the state and more often than not senior centers are not open. Having the opportunity on Presidents Day this year, he took the opportunity to come and visit Worland senior citizens. He was then headed to Greybull High School and back to his hometown Casper.

Barrasso said the No. 1 question he has been getting in his visits to Wyoming is about the Chinese spy balloon, which was reported in Montana and eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina earlier this month.

"I thought they should have shot it down over Alaska before it ever got to populated areas," he said, which was greeted with applause.

When asked why didn't they he answered, "Because the Commander-in-Chief didn't call for it [to be shot down]. The problem with this spy balloon is it wasn't just a weather balloon that kind of got blown off course. In the picture it had solar panels underneath, they could propel it and it hovered over our ICBM sites. We have them in Wyoming and they have them in Montana."

First question was on the southern border. Barrasso said, "The southern border, its'a disgrace," adding he visited the border with Sen. Ted Cruz not too long ago.

"Anything that was working when Trump was president, this president has reversed. You want to control the border you have to do a couple of things. You have to finish the wall ... No. 2 is you have to stop the catch and release and the third, is to keep the remain-in-Mexico-first policy." He said under the Trump Administration those seeking asylum were asked to remain in Mexico while their case was adjudicated in the U.S. court system.

"I call it a dereliction of duty," Barrasso said, adding that the amount of drugs, especially fentanyl is astonishing and it is impacting Wyoming communities.

"In so many ways this administration does not see things the way I see them," he said, adding that he believes the U.S. should be using American energy while the Biden Administration believes that America should go to other countries including Iran, Saudia Arabia and Venezuala.

"I believe in Wyoming we are the land of opportunity, we are the equality state, which is equal opportunity not equal outcome. It should be based on your effort, not on your existence," Barrasso said. He added that each year, Worland AP history teacher Randy Durr brings a group of students to Washington, D.C. "These are the best and brightest. They get that the economy is a ladder to climb, it's not a line to wait in with your hand out. That's the different between Worland and Washington, D.C."

In addressing another question, Barrasso said since he has been in the Senate, the Wyoming Congressional delegation introduces a bill each year to get U.S. to go the "Wyoming way" with one issue being addressed in one bill, rather than multiple issues in one bill.

The infrastructure bill passed last year and the omnibus bill before Congress now has many issues attached. Congressmen agree to vote for someone's project if they can attach their project to the bill.

The only way to stop it is to have enough people voting against that type of legislation so they have to go one issue, one bill, to get things passed.

One citizen asked Barrasso to ask U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) to offer up the articles of impeachment. He said, "I don't know if she will," noting there would not be enough votes in the Senate to convict anyway. He added that the person that should be removed from office is Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas due to the issues at the southern border.

When asked about filing treason charges against President Joe Biden, Barrasso said, "I'm not a lawyer. My focus is always Wyoming. How can we produce more American energy here. My focus is energy, I'm No. 1 Republican senator on the Energy Committee."

He said that while Hageman has endorsed Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, he plans to wait and support the nominee that is selected at the Republican convention. He said he does expect a wide range of candidates for the Republican nomination but hopes it is not as large as 2016.

"The bottom line is, people say what do you tell people in Washington about Wyoming? It's real simple, it's three words, leave us alone, our guns, our water, our land, our air," a statement that was again met with applause.

HONORING VETERANS

Also during his visit to the Worland Senior Center, Barrasso presented veterans or family members of veterans with his Military Challenge Coin. He said the coin is a sign of honor, recognition and respect. It has a Wyoming cowboy in the center, the words United States Senate and Wyoming on it.

"I have the cowboy on there because cowboys never quit, cowboys never complain and neither will the military," he said.

Barrasso said he first learned of Military Challenge coins from Gen. David Petraeus several years ago on a trip to Iraq. He said when presenting the coin, you shake the veterans hand and thank them for all they have done to keep Americans safe and keep them free.

He added that he also gives his coin to law enforcement personnel.