If one were going to follow the science, one would think that someone with a background in health services might be picked to be head of Health and Human Services, someone who knows how healthcare works. Instead
President-elect Joe Biden will nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the health and human services department, a critical appointment amid a global pandemic that has killed more than 280,000 in the U.S. alone.
Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to replace Dr. Robert Redfield as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If confirmed by the Senate, Becerra, 62, will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services, a $1-trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans.
Becerra’s nomination, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by The Associated Press, as Health and Human Services secretary comes as Biden has faced increasing pressure to add more diversity to his administration.
Becerra has a BA in economics from and then earned his law degree, both at Stanford. After working a few years as a lawyer, he’s spent the majority of his time working for politicians and as a politician. As AG of California, he’s gone after whistleblowers and journalists. Sure, Trump’s head of HHS, Alex Azar, doesn’t have a degree in anything health related, either, but, at least he’s spent time working previously at HHS. Yet, we are continuously told that Joe Biden will follow the science, which apparently means lawsuits and government restrictions on The People.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro lauded the former congressman’s selection in a statement Sunday.
“In this moment of crisis with COVID-19 devastating Latino communities, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is proud that California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a dedicated public servant, will be nominated by President-Elect Biden to lead to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” the statement said.
Apparently, his one attribution is that he’s Hispanic, because identity politics is more important.
