California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been confirmed to serve as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“The Hispanic National Bar Association applauds the confirmation of Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services during this critical moment,” National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), Elia Diaz-Yaeger said in a statement.
The 50-49 vote makes the 63-year-old Becerra the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We are inspired by his more than 30 years of public service at the state and federal levels. He has demonstrated he has both the temperament and dedication to fairness and justice that is needed to lead the agency through this national health crisis.”
Becerra has been California's attorney general since 2017. He sued the Trump administration 124 times on a range of policy issues, earning the ire of conservatives. Before that he represented a Los Angeles-area district in the U.S. House for 24 years. A lawyer, not a doctor, his main experience with the health care system came through helping to pass the Obama-era Affordable Care Act and defending it when Donald Trump was president.
“More than a year has passed since our nation began confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than 500,000 Americans have lost their lives due to the deadly virus. We pray that recent advances in vaccine development and distribution are a sign that the worst of this crisis is behind us.”
“In addition to leading the federal government’s response to the ongoing pandemic, Secretary Becerra will oversee the administration of key agencies important to the Latino community, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of Minority Health, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We look forward to working closely with Secretary Becerra to promote and protect the well-being of Latino families across the nation.”
Associated Press contributed to this story.