JACKSON, WY – Wyoming’s senior U.S. Senator, John Barrasso, took to the Senate floor this week with a fiery message: End the federal government shutdown and stop using American taxpayers as political leverage.
As Senate Majority Whip, Barrasso accused Senate Democrats of holding government operations “hostage” in exchange for what he called massive corporate giveaways to insurance companies through the Affordable Care Act — or “Obamacare.” He labeled the proposal a “ransom note” that’s “dead on arrival.”
“This shutdown is punishing real Wyoming families,” Barrasso said. “It’s time to put people over politics — and taxpayers over insurance executives.”
Barrasso: Obamacare a “Broken Promise”
Barrasso didn’t hold back in his critique of the 2010 healthcare law. Premiums, he said, have soared 221% since Obamacare’s passage, far from the $2,500 annual reduction Americans were promised. Even some Democrats, like Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), have publicly acknowledged the law’s failure to rein in costs.
Meanwhile, insurance companies have seen their stock values surge by 500–1,000%, with taxpayers now covering nearly 93% of all premiums through federal subsidies. Barrasso called it “a system that rewards corporate giants and punishes the people footing the bill.”
A Shutdown That Hits Home
The senator highlighted the widespread effects of the five-week shutdown, including unpaid federal workers, delayed benefits, and mounting travel disruptions across the nation. He noted that over 42 million Americans rely on food assistance programs, roughly double the number enrolled in Obamacare, and accused Democrats of blocking 14 separate attempts to reopen the government with a “clean” continuing resolution.
“We could end this tonight if Democrats would stop demanding a bailout for insurers,” Barrasso said. “Wyoming families deserve better than Washington gridlock.”
Wyoming Values in Washington
Barrasso’s message struck a chord across Wyoming, where fiscal restraint and government accountability remain deeply held values. His call to “end the Schumer Shutdown” reflects a broader sentiment shared by many in the Equality State, that Washington’s priorities are out of touch with the realities of working Americans.
“Wyoming has always stood for independence, integrity, and common sense,” Barrasso added. “We can have affordable healthcare without the waste, fraud, and corruption that have plagued Obamacare from day one.”
As the standoff continues, Barrasso has emerged as one of the GOP’s most visible voices pressing for an end to the impasse, without what he calls “backroom giveaways” to special interests.
AntlersArch founder and the voice behind Teton Tattle.
Well the USA has the most expensive, poor performing, least affordable health system in the world. It’s about time it was fixed if you can standup to the powerful lobbyists. The original proposal for single payer never materialized due to the threat from the insurance industry To oppose change. The result was the ACA. It was predicted that with single payer over 100,000 insurance mployees would lose their jobs plus all the related hospital and clinic employees. That’s where the money goes!!!