Xavier Becerra Has 'No Public Health Experience' But Plenty Of Radical Views

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Contact: Scott Sloofman 202-297-4470

Xavier Becerra Has 'No Public Health Experience' But Plenty Of Radical Views

In California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President Biden Has Selected Someone With 'No Particular Experience Or Expertise In Health' But A Long Record Of Pro-Abortion Extremism And Support For Radical Policies Like 'Medicare For All'

SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): "Xavier Becerra [is] President Biden's nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Amid a global pandemic, the President has made a puzzling selection for this critical post: The famously partisan Attorney General of California. Mr. Becerra has no particular experience or expertise in health. His chief passion project in California seemed to be using the force of government to attack Americans' religious liberty and freedom of conscience. In 2017, the department he's nominated to lead finally provided a religious exemption to a controversial Obamacare mandate. Mr. Becerra led the lawsuit to challenge it. He used his taxpayer-funded office to sue Catholic nuns who didn't want government forcing them to violate their beliefs. This is a pattern with Mr. Becerra. When a California law forcing pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortion was challenged in court, Mr. Becerra defended it to the bitter end. His absurd position in favor of government-compelled speech was slapped down by the Supreme Court. Over the last two years, the HHS Office of Civil Rights literally had to hold California and Mr. Becerra in violation of conscience protections that are written into federal law. His zealous refusal to respect his citizens' legal rights positioned his state to potentially forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in HHS funding. That's how committed they were to these violations. And now the fox wants to guard the henhouse"... I am hard-pressed to see any way such a radical and underqualified nominee should fill such a critical post at this crucial time." (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 2/23/2021)

Becerra Has 'No Public Health Experience,' Leaving Some Medical Experts 'Caught Off Guard' And 'Astounded' By The Nomination

"Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden's choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, is set to be a pandemic-era secretary with no public health experience.... Becerra built his career in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming California's attorney general, and some wonder whether his political and legal skills would be the right fit to steer HHS through a health catastrophe that's killing thousands of Americans every day. Although he would bring years of health politics and policy work to the role, none of it comes from front-line experience as an executive or administrator running public health programs, managing patient care or controlling the spread of disease." ("In Becerra, An HHS Nominee With Political Skill But No Front-Line Health Experience," Kaiser Health News, 12/08/2020)

[See removed content in original press release.]

Becerra's Chief Health Care Expertise Appears To Be Using Government To Coerce Nuns And Other Charitable Organizations To Violate Their Consciences For A Radical Abortion Agenda

As California's Attorney General, Becerra Sued The Federal Government To Take Away The Religious Exemption Granted To The Little Sisters And Other Organizations That Didn't Want To Be Forced To Pay For Coverage That Violated Their Religious Beliefs

Becerra Also Defended A California Law Forcing Crisis Pregnancy Centers To Advertise Abortion Services All The Way To The Supreme Court And Lost

[See removed content in original press release.]

* FORMER JUSTICE ANTHONY KENNEDY: "[T]he State [of California] requires primarily pro-life pregnancy centers to promote the State's own preferred message advertising abortions. This compels individuals to contradict their most deeply held beliefs, beliefs grounded in basic philosophical, ethical, or religious precepts, or all of these. And the history of the Act's passage and its underinclusive application suggest a real possibility that these individuals were targeted because of their beliefs.... Governments must not be allowed to force persons to express a message contrary to their deepest convictions." (NIFLA v. Becerra, 585 U.S. (2018), 6/26/2018)

Becerra's Abortion Extremism Extended To Opposing A Ban On Partial-Birth Abortions And Refusing To Codify The Hyde Amendment, Which Prevents Taxpayers From Funding Abortion Services

In 2003, then-Rep. Becerra (D-CA) voted against S. 3, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. (S.3, Roll Call Vote #530: Adopted (thus sent to the Senate) 281-142: D 63-137; R 218-4; I 0-1, 10/02/2003, Becerra voted Nay)

In 2011, Becerra voted against H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. (H.R.3, Roll Call Vote #292: Passed 251-175: R 235-0; D 16-175, 5/04/2011, Becerra voted No)

* REP. RICHARD NUGENT (R-FL): "H.R. 3 simply codifies and makes permanent the policies that currently rely upon regular, re-approval of Congress. Among the riders made permanent to H.R. 3 are: the Hyde amendment, which prohibits funding for elective abortion coverage through any program funded through the annual Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act; the Helms amendment, which prohibits funding for abortion as a method of family planning overseas; the Smith Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan amendment, which prohibits funding for elective abortion coverage for Federal employees; the Dornan amendment, which prohibits the use of congressionally appropriated funds for abortion in the District of Columbia; the Hyde-Weldon conscience clause, which ensures that recipients of Federal funding do not discriminate against doctors, nurses, and hospitals because they do not provide, pay for, cover, or refer for abortions." (Rep. Nugent, Congressional Record, H.3015, 5/04/2011)

Despite His Lack Of Health Care Experience, Becerra Boasts That He Supported Radical Government-Run 'Medicare For All' Legislation 'For The 24 Years That [He] Was In Congress'

[See removed content in original press release.]

While he was in Congress, Becerra cosponsored single-payer Medicare for All bills at least 6 times from 1993 to 2011. ("AMERICAN HEALTH SECURITY ACT (H.R. 1200, S.491, S.915, S.1782)," Healthcare-NOW Website, Accessed 2/23/2021 ; "EXPANDED AND IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL ACT (H.R. 676)," Healthcare-NOW Website, Accessed 2/23/2021 ; H.R. 1200, 103rd Congress ; H.R. 1200, 104th Congress ; H.R. 676, 109th Congress ; H.R. 676, 110th Congress ; H.R. 676, 111th Congress ; H.R. 676, 112th Congress)