Biden Health Team Takes Shape, Becerra Leading at HHS

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is expected to be named Secretary of Health and Human Services this week. Liberal groups praised his nomination while Republican Senators are already signaling opposition.

Summary

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra will be named by President-elect Biden to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) according to a trickle of reports that started Sunday evening.

• An anonymous source close to the Biden transition told NBC News Becerra’s legal efforts against opioid manufacturers and bipartisan work to expand coronavirus treatment access factored heavily into his selection.
• Reports indicate the Biden team “scrambled” to fill the HHS role after at least one potential nominee bowed out.
• The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which Becerra chaired for part of his 24 years in the House of Representatives, approved of his nomination, referencing the impact COVID-19 is having on Latinos in the United States.
• According to The Hill, Becerra will be among “the most visible Cabinet officials” given the coronavirus pandemic and will be leading a team of current officials staying on for the Biden Administration, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Obama appointees returning to their previous posts, such as Dr. Vivek Murthy who will again be Surgeon General.
• Biden’s “delicate balancing act” with his Cabinet appointments has frustrated some in the progressive wing of the Democrat Party while they have also acknowledged boxing out what they consider nominations most hostile to the extreme left of the party.
• The pending nomination of Becerra gives California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has recently faced bad headlines over allegations of hypocrisy regarding coronavirus lockdowns, the opportunity to appoint up to three statewide offices. Politico reports the selection of a person of color can help “ease tensions with Black and Latina women’s groups” concerned with Newsom’s potential replacement for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Harris currently serves as California’s junior senator.

• The New York Times’ reporting offered multiple avenues of praise for Becerra: the head of a group of family physicians called Becerra “a good choice” despite previously urging Biden to appoint doctors to health-related Cabinet positions, while suggesting his time on Capitol Hill will bolster his chances of success. The Times also led its reporting by noting Becerra will be the first Latino to lead HHS if confirmed.
• CNN characterized Becerra as a chief opponent of the Trump Administration from the state level, leading a variety of legal challenges to actions and proposals by President Trump.
• Huffington Post called Becerra’s nomination “a victory for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus”, noting the pressure Biden has faced to increase diversity of his Cabinet picks.

• Breitbart’s reporting focused on Becerra’s stances and involvement in lightning-rod issues for conservatives, such as his long-time support for “Medicare for All” and close ties to and defense of Planned Parenthood.
• Fox News noted the opposition to Becerra already percolating among Senate Republicans for his support of Planned Parenthood, who will have a vote on Becerra’s nomination.
• The Wall Street Journal provided a wide-ranging synopsis of Becerra’s journey to the HHS nomination, and noted Becerra will not push for a single payer healthcare plan he has long supported. 

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© Dallas Gerber, 2020