Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), was scored by the Washington Post on the percentage of votes on which a lawmaker agrees with the position taken by a majority of his or her party members. The scores do not include missed votes.
Their summary: Voted with Republican Party 94% of 100 votes. Overall, Democrats voted with their party 88.4% of the time, and Republicans voted with their party 81.7% of the time (votes Jan. 8 through Sept. 8, 2007).
Source: Washington Post, “US Congress Votes Database”
Sep 8, 2007
Former surgeon and state senator
Barrasso, a conservative Republican surgeon who was until now a Wyoming state senator, was sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney Monday afternoon. Gov. Dave Freudenthal selected him to fill the seat of Sen. Craig Thomas, who died
June 4 while being treated for leukemia.
The Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, and one Democrat, South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson, is absent from the chamber recovering from a December brain hemorrhage.
Source: Syndicated news reports
Jun 25, 2007
Appointed by Wyoming Governor to replace Craig Thomas
Gov. Dave Freudenthal selected him to fill the seat of Sen. Craig Thomas, who died June 4 while being treated for leukemia. Wyoming law is designed to keep the same party in power in the event of a Senate vacancy [so even though the
Governor is a Democrat, he was required to appoint a Republican]. Barrasso will serve until the beginning of 2009. A special election in November 2008 will decide who will finish Thomas’ term, which runs to January 2013.
Source: Syndicated news reports
Jun 25, 2007
Voted NO on confirming of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court.
Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee kicked off the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. In her opening statement, Judge Sotomayor pledged a "fidelity to the law:"
"In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make the law--it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms; interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress's intent; and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and my Circuit Court. In each case I have heard, I have applied the law to the facts at hand."
Reference: Supreme Court Nomination;
Bill PN506
; vote number 2009-S262
on Aug 6, 2009
