WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today joined NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. Senator Barrasso discussed how Republicans are getting America back on track, the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, strengthening Medicaid, and his support for devastating sanctions on Russia.
On Republicans getting America back on track:
“The ranchers of Wyoming are very happy with what President Trump has done in terms of beef. I was at the Wyoming Fair last night hearing lots of people very happy with this bill that we just passed.
“But remember, Republicans ran for office to make this country safer and more prosperous, and tariffs are just one part of our comprehensive economic plan to do that. We’re six months into this administration, and let’s take a look at the things that voters are most concerned about. And we’re in the right direction on all of those.
“Inflation is down. Gas prices are at the lowest in four years. What we’ve seen is the flow of illegal immigrants at the border has dropped to a trickle. We have passed and made permanent the largest tax cuts in American history. And American strength at home in and abroad has been seen all around the world. We have gotten America back on track, and you know the Democrats have been fighting us every step along the way, Kristen.”
On leveling the playing field for American workers:
“President Trump continues to put America first – American jobs, American wages, American workers. And this is what the Trump policy has been when we use this tool, and he’s using it very effectively.
“You take a look at what happened just the other night, the numbers coming out from the Treasury Department. We actually ran a surplus this past June for the first time in eight years because of tariff revenue coming in. When you add that to what we’ve done with the tax cuts and with letting people keep more of their own money, it makes a big difference in people’s lives.
“I am amazed that people continue to underestimate President Trump’s ability to negotiate good deals for America. He wants to get jobs back to this country. He wants to get wages up, and he’s very good at bringing people to the table. Our ranchers are happy. Look, we are so dependent on China for so many things. We had just in Friday, the Secretary of Energy came to Wyoming where for the first time in 70 years opened a rare elements mine, rare minerals. China has a stranglehold on us for those important minerals. We did one in Wyoming. We need to get those good paying jobs here and make sure we’re no longer dependent on all of these foreign policies around the world. Some of these people hold us hostage.”
On the One Big Beautiful Bill improving lives for all Americans:
“Let’s talk about this bill itself. Largest tax cut in American history. No tax on tips tax. No tax on overtime. No tax on Social Security. These are things that are going to put money in people’s pockets. We’ve made these tax cuts permanent. That’s $2,000 a year in tax savings for hardworking Americans.
“There’s additional money for Child Tax Credits – that’s going to help working families. We do more to secure the border. To increase our military. Being from Wyoming, an energy state, we are an energy bread basket for our country. We are going to be able to produce more American energy here, which is going to bring down the cost of heating your home, cooling your home, or gasoline.
“That is the contrast of what Republicans are doing to your next guest, the Governor of Kentucky, who wants to run for president. American people have rejected the last four years of high prices and open borders.”
On Republicans strengthening Medicaid:
“The more people hear about what’s in this bill that’s going to help them personally in their own lives – keep them safer as well as more prosperous – the more people who’re going to want to support what the Republicans are doing.
“Let’s talk about Medicaid for a second. And you talked about rural areas, so look. I’m a doctor, practiced in Wyoming rural and frontier medicine. In this bill, there’s $50 billion set aside for rural hospitals to make sure that they can stay no longer in jeopardy, but give them the security that they need. Medicaid has become a magnet for waste, for fraud, for abuse, and even corruption. And during the votes on this bill, the Democrats said, ‘Nope, keep sending Medicaid to illegal immigrants.’ There’s 1.2 million illegal immigrants on Medicaid right now, and the American people reject that.
“We have over 5 million people sitting at home who are able to work, who are on Medicaid, and choose not to work. Republicans believe there should be work requirements. Democrats voted, nope, not even modest work requirements. If the Democrats were still in charge, everyone’s taxes would be going up, and we would be less safe and less secure as a nation.”
On the need to levy devastating sanctions on Russia:
“The goal of that is to drain the Russian War machine of the money that they have coming in from selling oil to China and to India that continues to fund that. We need to stand behind President Trump who has been clear and consistent. He wants this war to end.”
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