Barrasso meets with seniors, talks taxes and Social Security

Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., visited the South Big Horn Senior Center during their lunch hour in Greybull on Wednesday, Sept. 24. He took questions from the seniors, handed out Challenge Coins to veterans, and shared updates on his legislative efforts. 

The visit came as part of a break between sessions, where Barrasso also stopped at an elementary school in Thermopolis and a sugar beet factory in Worland. 

“What I’m hearing around Wyoming is people feel that we can breathe a little better and feel a little better about the course for our future as a result of the election last year and the direction our country is heading,” Barrasso said on Wednesday. 

During questions, one audience member asked about property tax cuts that will affect local services such as the senior center. 

“The state legislature cut the property tax and the state legislators from around the county made that decision,” Barrasso replied. “I’m hearing the same thing from the hospital association … You might want to invite in the state legislators who voted that way and ask them about it.”

Barrasso advocated for lower taxes; however, he acknowledged that cuts may impact tax-funded districts. He cited a $50 billion rural hospital fund created by Congress this year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as a potential source to aid small hospitals. According to Congressional Budget Office projections, however, Medicaid spending is expected to fall $900 billion over the next 10 years. 

Social Security was also a hot topic at the senior center. 

“In terms of Social Security, we need to make sure that is there forever for us,” Barrasso said. He acknowledged that the national debt has increased over the years, relaying that when Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were first instated, life expectancy was shorter. Now, more people are utilizing the services. 

“As a doctor, I always brag, we got the medicine right, and they got the math wrong, because they just didn’t visualize that we would be able to live this long,” Barrasso said. 

In terms of the national debt, one commenter took issue with China holding part of the United States’ $37 trillion debt. Barrasso retorted that China has been considered a business partner of the U.S. more commonly since the ‘90s. He stated that he personally viewed China as an enemy. 

“See what happened with COVID, we found out how dependent we were on China for minerals, for medicine, for critical materials,” Barrasso said. “That’s the fight going on here. We have a lot of those materials here in the United States, and a lot of the times the environmentalists don’t want us to mine them here.”

Barrasso noted the first rare earth mine in 70 years was opened in Ranchester earlier this year. Brook Mine was also the first new coal mine opened in Wyoming for nearly 50 years.

OTHER TALKING POINTS

“Lumens laws” limiting headlight power for driver safety were bought forth as a citizen concern.

 Chem trails from jets and planes were brought to attention. Barrasso reported he had heard similar concerns at the senior center in Green River. 

Barrasso relayed confidence in the state’s West Point and Naval Academy candidates and reported that some deployed would be “coming home soon.”