In what is shaping up to become one of the most diverse cabinets ever, President-elect Joe Biden has nominated California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services. If confirmed, Becerra will become the first Latino to lead the Department in the history of the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for protecting the health and well-being of Americans and providing essential human services, and will play a key role in the Biden administration’s handling of the worsening coronavirus pandemic.
Becerra was born in Sacramento, California to working-class Mexican parents. His mother, born in Jalisco, Mexico, immigrated to the United States after marrying his father. He is the first in his family to graduate from college, receiving his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and his JD from Stanford Law School.
After he graduated from law school, Becerra began his career as a legal aid attorney for clients with mental health issues. He went on to become a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, and served one term in the State Assembly. In 1993, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served 12 terms. During his time in Congress, he became the first Latino to serve as member of the Committee on Ways and Means and helped pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Additionally, he served as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Social Security and chaired the House Democratic Caucus.
In 2017, Becerra was elected as the 33rd Attorney General of California, again becoming the first Latino to hold the position. As Attorney General, he focused on protecting underserved communities, Social Security and Medicare programs, and safeguarding the health of his constituents.
Becerra became one of the chief defenders of the ACA, otherwise known as Obamacare, during the many attacks of the Trump administration against the program that gives over 20 million Americans healthcare coverage. Joining 20 states and the District of Columbia, Becerra led the defense of the ACA in the Supreme Court this year. “COVID-19 has made one thing undeniable: We must safeguard the Affordable Care Act — lives depend on it,” he said last month. Obamacare advocates have praised his nomination: “Attorney General Xavier Becerra has all the skills and qualifications necessary to execute President-elect Biden’s bold plans to increase access to quality care, lower skyrocketing prescription drug prices, make health care more affordable, strengthen Medicare and Medicaid and work to get the coronavirus pandemic under control,” Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, said.