Wyoming’s US Senator John Barrasso, a former Casper physician, began his questioning of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. last week by praising President Trump.
Barrasso said, “I believe one of President Trump’s greatest achievements was his bold and successful actions on Covid. When faced with a global pandemic he didn’t back down, he was determined to find a cure, and through Operation Warp Speed, a vaccine was developed and distributed quickly, safely and effectively; and I believe it saved many, many lives. I think it’s a model of American ingenuity and public, private partnership.”
I could not agree more.
Barrasso continued by asking former-heroin-addict-turned-HHS-Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. how, amid the current chaos at the Department, he was going to make vaccine guidelines “clear, evidence-based and trustworthy.”
Remember these guidelines are recommendations, not requirements.
With this one question, Barrasso struck at the heart of the issues surrounding Kennedy’s reign at HHS. But more importantly, he was hitting at the heart of Republican voters’ concerns regarding that chaos – and its possible implications for the midterm elections.
Here in Wyoming, however, Barrasso’s challenge of Kennedy’s broken promises on vaccine recommendations and the further staff instability at HHS encountered animosity, from the newly minted Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
The group said in a social media post, “Sen. Barrasso’s out-of-touch swipe at HHS Sec. RFK Jr. is no surprise.”
Out of touch?
I would argue the Freedom Caucus, in doubling down on support of the vaccine-denying Kennedy from the Camelot-famed, Kennebunkport shamed Kennedy clan is doubling down on its own electoral fate in 2026.
Why?
Well, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus might want to first check the recent polling on what voters nationwide think about vaccine recommendations, a number that is likely similar to Wyoming voters.
Senator Barrasso rightly pointed this out in his opening statements, saying 89% of voters and 81% of Trump voters believe vaccine recommendations should come from trained physicians and scientists.
Kennedy, in the meantime, continues to staff the HHS with pseudo-scientists and non-licensed “physicians,” (for lack of a better description). No doubt to better support his own questionable beliefs.
As a reminder, Kennedy himself is a former Democrat and environmental lawyer who, until very recently, supported abortion, same-sex marriage and whole host of left-leaning, progressive policies. His newfound Republican views sit at the tender age of four years old or younger, depending on political expediency.
And yet the Wyoming Freedom Caucus has apparently decided to go after one of Wyoming’s most pro-life, pro-family senators in defense of Kennedy, showcasing once again the sheer folly of their politics.
So why are Republican senators like Barrasso rightly having concerns about Kennedy?
Kennedy’s journey to Cabinet Secretary began with large amounts of concern from the medical and scientific communities and ended with a squeaker of a Senate confirmation.
His appointment happened only after Senate Finance Committee member Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician from Louisiana, extracted several promises from Kennedy.
One of those was to not change the CDC’s public statements on vaccines to embrace Kennedy’s already widely debunked views that vaccines cause autism.
The second was to not change the CDC’s recommended vaccination schedule.
Both promises Kennedy broke within the first weeks of taking office.
Kennedy, clearly not a man of his word, showed a trait Barrasso ought to find troubling.
As we say in the Code of the West, when you make a promise, keep it.
Can you blame Republican senators for being concerned?
I can’t. It’s their job to question thoroughly these executive branch officials, and we should give them the political space to do so.
To suggest Barrasso, a loyal supporter of President Trump is “out of touch” for pressing Kennedy on his reckless views and mismanagement isn’t just absurd, it’s dishonest.
And it continues to show how drunk the Freedom Caucus is on their own distorted purity tests.
For a group that never tires of railing against Republicans in Name Only (RINOs), the Freedom Caucus is showing Republicans across Wyoming just how hollow their principles really are, and how many double standards they have.
That’s a losing message in any GOP primary.
Amy can be reached at amy@letstalkwyomingpodcast.com
