U.S. Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso joined SVI to discuss his opposition to the Build Back Better plan along with vaccine mandates and the future of American energy.

Working to stop Build Back Better bill in Senate

The bill has passed the House of Representatives and is now being discussed in the Senate. Barrasso says it could be back breaking, specifically in Wyoming.

“The bottom line is… if you get rid of all the budget gimmicks, (the bill is) going to be closer to $5 trillion,” Barrasso said. “It’s going to add hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars to the debt.”

He also says President Biden has stated it will not add to inflation.

“Any of the folks that look at this is going ‘Of course this going to add to the inflation’,” Barrasso said. “If you put more and more government spending into the economy what’s it going to do? It’s going to drive up the cost of things.”

He says the bill is also providing relief such as free daycare and other entitlements to illegal immigrants. He says another thing in the bill is expanding the IRS.

“More auditors, more people spying on our accounts,” Barrasso said. “Giving more people access to our accounts because they want to squeeze more tax dollars from the American people.”

He says he is doing everything he can to stop it. He will work with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin out of West Virginia. He says he will speak to him about the state of the economy and how this may impact that state.

He reminded the public it is a 50-50 Senate and the Vice President can break the tie to pass it.

American Energy and its future

There is nothing in the bill regarding energy, but he wonders if in the attempt to get more tax dollars the current administration will use it to put more regulations on the energy.

President Biden said in November that the jump in oil prices is because Russia or OPEC’s refusal to pump more oil and ask the organization to produce more to help lower costs.

“Yet (Biden is) shutting down Keystone Pipeline, shutting down oil and gas exploration on public lands which is half the state of Wyoming,” Barrasso said. “The impact on us is going to be even higher energy costs.”

He says Wyoming will continue to be the energy capital of the world. He says all resources can be useful and the Cowboy state has it all.

He believes the Nuclear plant that will go into Kemmerer will be “a game changer”.

“This is the next generation, new age, nuclear facilities, smaller, more compact,” Barrasso said. “Folks we visited with are very excited to have it in Lincoln County.”

He says it will help create jobs seeing through the construction and the implementation of the new energy source.

He believes the American people are all better served when we are selling energy produced in the United States rather than purchasing it overseas and possibly from enemies.

Vaccine Mandates

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it suspended enforcement on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate after courts put a stay on the order.

Barrasso says he is pro-vaccine, but against mandates as he thinks that hits the point of government overreach.

“I’ve traveled around (Wyoming) to talk about the vaccine,” Barrasso said. “I believe they’re safe, they’re effective and I also think it is someone’s own decision to make.”

He says it doesn’t make sense that you may have to fire many people who have been going to work even since the pandemic began.