If you know one thing about California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s career, it’s that he spent a lot of it suing then-President Donald Trump. For those keeping score (we were), Becerra took the Trump administration to court a whopping 110 times, making him a speartip of the anti-Trump resistance. Tomorrow the national spotlight on him is sure to grow even hotter, as the U.S. Senate begins hearings on whether to confirm his nomination by.
If confirmed, Deb Haaland, 60, would be the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency and Xavier Beccera, 63, would be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
WASHINGTON Republicans have called Xavier Becerra a radical leftist, but during his first Senate hearing on his nomination to run the federal Health and Human Services Department, the atmosphere was collegial. Despite weeks of GOP attacks on the California attorney general, his exchanges with lawmakers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday were polite and largely policy-related. But the friendly atmosphere.
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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President Joe Biden s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during his first Senate confirmation hearing on Feb. 23, 2021.
(Sarah Silbiger/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
President Biden s pick for health secretary – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra – told senators Tuesday that tackling the coronavirus pandemic will be his first priority if confirmed. But he also pledged to expand health insurance, rein in prescription drug costs and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in medical care. To meet this moment, we need strong federal leadership, Becerra said at the first of two hearings on his nomination. I understand the enormous challenges before us and our solemn responsibility to faithfully steward this agency that touches almost every aspect of our lives.