Xavier Becerra testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his nomination to be secretary of health and human services, on Capitol Hill on Feb. 24, 2021.WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Xavier Becerra as health and human services secretary Thursday, filling a key Cabinet post as the Biden administration works to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
Becerra, who is the first Latino to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, was confirmed in a 50-49 vote, with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine the only Republican to vote in favor of his nomination.Republicans largely opposed Becerra, saying he lacked experience to lead the department amid a global pandemic. They also slammed his pro-abortion views and his past support for"Medicare for All.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor that the GOP’s arguments against Becerra “almost verge on the ridiculous.” He noted many Republican senators “complained loudly” that Becerra, California's attorney general since 2017 and a longtime member of Congress, had no experience as a medical professional but they had voted to confirm Alex Azar, a pharmaceutical executive, for the role in the Trump administration.
“Mr. Becerra, by contrast, has decades of standing up for working-and middle-class Americans in Congress, fighting to protect and expand Medicare, Medicaid, and working to safeguard our health care system from attacks by the Trump administration,” Schumer said. “As the Biden administration works to defeat this pandemic, the president deserves to have his Cabinet confirmed, especially a post as important as HHS secretary.
As California's attorney general, Becerra had challenged many of the Trump administration’s policies in court, and previously served in Congress for more than two decades, including as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
A special interest lawyer who is not even a doctor set up to lead HHS. Should be chaos as usual with Washington. The Biden Administration says they follow science. By the looks of it, they follow the money back to the Trial Lawyers Association.
CA MAGA hates him with over the top passion. I love it.
Republicans too busy telling experts Mask don’t work, they didn’t vote to over turn election, Trump is the one saving Americans as he is vaccinating us what happen to the GOP?
I love how much Xavier Becerra hates Tr*mp’s guts. I was actually hoping POTUS had nominated him for AG.
Is there anything you report on that isn't racial?
Thank you Sen. Susan Collins for doing your job justsaying
These latinos...you racists...wait who is the racist now? I forget. 'First latino'...RACITSTS!!
Where was drunk ass looking lisamurkowski
Don't you mean Latinx?
Man, republicans suck.
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