Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of Health and Human Services

Becerra’s gross lack of qualifications in the healthcare field, in conjunction with his demonstrated support for radical progressive policies in healthcare, mean that his confirmation would bring a disastrous sea change to the administration of HHS.

As the Attorney General of California with no medical background, Xavier Becerra is absolutely unqualified to lead HHS. In fact, his only real qualifications to lead the healthcare arm of the federal government is his involvement in litigation supporting the failed law that is Obamacare.

In California v. Texas and Texas v. California, Becerra’s office argued that the Affordable Care Act remained constitutional in spite of the fact that Congress had effectively removed the penalties for not purchasing health insurance, meaning that the penalty no longer classifies as a tax. While the Supreme Court has yet to render its decision on these pending cases, Becerra’s unwavering partisan support for Obamacare is worrying. To make matters worse, Becerra has also demonstrated his support for single-payer healthcare, including full-blown Medicare for All.

The fact that Becerra’s nomination required a discharge petition to make it to the floor should also be concerning to the Senate. While Senate Republicans have been generally agreeable throughout the transition process, frequently supporting other nominations of President Biden, the conference’s staunch opposition to Becerra should be a clear signal to Senate Democrats. There are many, far more qualified individuals who should be nominated over Becerra. The Biden administration’s choice of Becerra indicates that all they really want is a radical at HHS, who will give Biden cover to come down far further left on healthcare policy than he expressed both in his past and on the campaign trail in terms of being a “moderate” and fostering “unity.”