Xavier Becerra
Office 125th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
President 1Joe Biden
Deputy 1Andrea Palm
Term start 1March 19, 2021
Term end 1January 20, 2025
Predecessor 1Alex Azar
Successor 1Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Office 233rd Attorney General of California
Governor 2Jerry Brown
Gavin Newsom
Term start 2January 24, 2017
Term end 2March 18, 2021
Predecessor 2Kamala Harris
Successor 2Rob Bonta
State 3California
Term start 3January 3, 1993
Term end 3January 24, 2017
Predecessor 3Edward Roybal (redistricted)
Successor 3Jimmy Gomez
Constituency 3

(1993–2003)
(2003–2013)
(2013–2017)

Xavier Becerra
Office 4Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
Leader 4Nancy Pelosi
Deputy 4Joe Crowley
Term start 4January 3, 2013
Term end 4January 3, 2017
Predecessor 4John Larson
Successor 4Joe Crowley
Office 5Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
Leader 5Nancy Pelosi
Term start 5January 3, 2009
Term end 5January 3, 2013
Predecessor 5John Larson
Successor 5Joe Crowley
Office 6House Democratic Assistant to the Leader
Leader 6Nancy Pelosi
Term start 6January 3, 2007
Term end 6January 3, 2009
Predecessor 6John Spratt
Successor 6Chris Van Hollen
Office 7Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Term start 7January 3, 1997
Term end 7January 3, 1999
Predecessor 7Ed Pastor
Successor 7Lucille Roybal-Allard
State assembly 8California
District 859th
Term start 8December 3, 1990
Term end 8December 3, 1992
Predecessor 8Charles Calderon
Successor 8Dick Mountjoy
Birth dateJanuary 26, 1958 (age 68)
Birth placeSacramento, California, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseCarolina Reyes (m. 1989)
EducationStanford University (BA, JD)

Xavier Becerra (es-419; born January 26, 1958) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services under President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Becerra previously served as the 33rd attorney general of California from 2017 to 2021 and as a U.S. representative from California from 1993 to 2017. He is a candidate for governor of California in the 2026 election.

The son of Mexican immigrants, Becerra was born and raised in Sacramento and received Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from Stanford University. He worked as an administrative assistant for state senator Art Torres and as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice in the late 1980s. He served in the California State Assembly from 1990 to 1992.

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, Becerra chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999 and the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017. In 2017, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Becerra to replace Kamala Harris as attorney general after Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. He was elected to a full term in 2018 and served until he joined the Biden cabinet in 2021.

Early life and education

Becerra was born on January 26, 1958, in Sacramento, California.[1] He is the son of Maria Teresa and Manuel Guerrero Becerra. His father was born in the U.S. and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and his mother was from Guadalajara, Jalisco.[2] Becerra grew up in a one-room apartment with his three sisters.[3] He graduated in 1976 from C.K. McClatchy High School.[4] He studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain from 1978 to 1979 and earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Stanford University in 1980, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college.[5][6] He received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985.[7]

Early career

As an attorney, Becerra worked on cases involving individuals who had mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts[8] (now Community Legal Aid).

Becerra returned to California, and in 1986, became an administrative assistant for Democratic State Senator Art Torres of Los Angeles.[9] He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 to 1990.[10]

After incumbent state assemblymember Charles Calderon decided to seek a seat in the California Senate, Becerra launched a campaign for the California State Assembly, defeating Calderon's Senate aide Marta Maestas in the Democratic primary.[11] He went on to defeat Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall, receiving 60% of the vote.[12] Becerra served one term in the State Assembly, representing California's 59th district, from 1990 to 1992.[13]

U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2017)

Elections

In 1992, Becerra won the Democratic primary in California's 30th congressional district with a plurality of 32% of the vote.[14] In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg, 58%–24%.[15] He won re-election to a second term in 1994 with 66%[16] of the vote. His district was renumbered as the 31st district after the 2000 census.[citation needed]

After redistricting, ahead of the 2012 elections, most of Becerra's old district became the 34th district. He defeated Republican Stephen Smith 85.6% to 14.4%.[17]

Tenure

Becerra was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which he served as chair during the 105th Congress.[18]

Becerra was appointed assistant to the speaker of the House for the 110th Congress.[19] He won his bid to succeed John Larson as vice chair in the 111th Congress, defeating Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175–67.[20] Becerra successfully ran for a second term as vice chair in 2011 to serve during the 112th Congress.[21] He served as chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017.

Abortion rights

Becerra voted against H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act (PRENDA), which would have imposed civil and criminal penalties on anyone knowingly attempting to perform a sex-selective abortion.[citation needed]

Becerra argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic religious order, should be required to provide birth control services under the Affordable Care Act.[22] In late 2020, arguing that the prosecution would discourage pregnant women from obtaining addiction treatment, Becerra urged the California Supreme Court to drop a murder charge against Chelsea Becker, a woman who had been arrested following a stillbirth in which methamphetamine was found in the fetus's system. He contended that the state's murder statute was intended to protect pregnant women from third-party violence, not to criminalize them for the outcomes of their own pregnancies.[23]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

California attorney general (2017–2021)

On January 24, 2017, upon appointment by California governor Jerry Brown, Becerra took office and become the first Latino to serve as California's attorney general.[26] Becerra was elected to a full four-year term in 2018, defeating Republican Steven Bailey with 61% of the vote.[27] He delivered the Democratic Spanish-language response to President Trump's 2019 State of the Union address.[28]

During his term as attorney general, Becerra filed 122 lawsuits against the first Trump administration.[29][30]

California Department of Justice reforms

Bureau of Environmental Justice

In 2018, Becerra created an environmental justice bureau at the California Department of Justice. It opposed the effort to expand San Bernardino International Airport due to concerns regarding air pollution, intervened to halt a proposed waterfront cement plant in Vallejo, citing significant concerns over increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and supported the City of Arvin's oil and gas ordinance, endorsing a 300-foot buffer for homes, schools, and hospitals.[31][32]

Protection of endangered species in Sacramento and San Joaquin River

On May 11, 2020, Becerra secured a preliminary injunction in this lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully expanding water export operations in the Central Valley.[33]

Criminal law enforcement

On June 4, 2019, Becerra announced the arrest of Naasón Joaquín García, leader of the Mexican megachurch La Luz Del Mundo and other co-defendants. Charges included human trafficking, production of child pornography, and forcible rape of a minor. On June 8, 2022, Naasón Joaquín García was sentenced to more than 16 years in a California prison.[34]

On January 17, 2020, Becerra and Riverside Police chief Larry Gonzalez announced the successful execution of "Operation Blocc Buster". The operation led to the arrest of 15 individuals associated with the Casa Blanca Gangster Crips street gang in Riverside and the seizure of 14 firearms, methamphetamine, and cocaine.[35]

In August 2018, an operation targeted the MS-13 gang in the Central Valley and beyond. The following year, multiple operations were directed against Norteño street gangs in Kings, Tulare, and Stanislaus Counties, as well as in Stockton.[36] In December 2019, the Country Boy Crips in south Bakersfield were the focus of a significant operation.[37]

Statewide organized crime ring charged with sex trafficking in California

In 2019, Becerra filed charges against Jing Chiang Huang, Shu Mei Lin, Shao Lee, Peihsin Lee, Pengcheng Cai, and Dafeng Wen for their alleged involvement in a statewide organized crime ring engaged in sex trafficking, tax fraud, and money laundering. Five suspects were sentenced in March 2022.[38]

Additional criminal law enforcement

Becerra brought fourteen felony charges against Center for Medical Progress activists for recording fourteen videos (see Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy), and one felony charge for conspiring to invade privacy, on March 28, 2017.[39] The charges were dismissed by a California Superior Court judge in June for not stating the names of those recorded and the specific dates of the recordings;[40] the charges were refiled with the names and dates in July 2017.[41]

In 2019, Becerra threatened "legal action" against reporters who had received records of California law enforcement officers who had been convicted of crimes during the past decade.[42]

In December 2020, Becerra was faulted by state district attorneys for not taking leadership to help stop unemployment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, in what was described as the "biggest taxpayer fraud in California history".[43] In January 2021, investigators said the total fraud was over $11 billion, with $19 billion in claims still under investigation.[44][45][46] Most of this money will likely never be recovered, prosecutors said.[43][47][48]

Death penalty

During the COVID-19 pandemic Becerra acted to uphold death penalty sentences.[49]

Robert Lewis was sentenced to death in 1991, but was later ruled ineligible due to a controversial finding of being intellectually disabled. Harris and Becerra sought to have the court to artificially inflate Lewis' IQ score in order for him to be eligible for the death penalty. The state legislature banned adjusting IQ based on race in death penalty cases in 2020.[49]

Lawsuits against Trump administration

Defense of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

In November 2019, Becerra led a coalition of 21 attorneys general to defend DACA against the Trump Administration's attempt to terminate it.[citation needed] The Court found that the administration's actions to end DACA were unlawful.[50]

Defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Becerra led the multi-state lawsuit to preserve the ACA's protections for people with pre-existing conditions and Medicaid expansion. The Supreme Court upheld the law.[51][52]

Additional federal litigation

In February 2019, Becerra, Governor Gavin Newsom, and 15 other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the president's declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall at the southern U.S. border.[53]

The Trump administration opened 1 million acres in California to fracking and drilling in December 2019.[54] Under this policy, the Bureau of Land Management proposed new lease sales for oil and gas extraction along "California's Central Valley and Central Coast, touching eight counties and including 400,000 acres of public land".[55] California officials and agencies, including Becerra, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management in January 2020.[56][55]

On December 9, 2020, Becerra's office joined 47 other states and the Federal Trade Commission in an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook.[57][58]

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025)

Nomination and confirmation

The New York Times reported in early December 2020 that Biden would nominate Becerra to be secretary of health and human services.[59] His nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department drew criticism from pro-life and conservative leaders led by Students for Life of America, citing his "absence of health care experience and his disregard for people of faith".[60][61] Becerra's nomination was deadlocked by the Senate Finance Committee on March 10, 2021.[62] One day later, on March 11, 2021, Becerra's nomination was discharged from the Finance Committee by the entire Senate, in a 51–48 vote.[63] He was confirmed by the Senate in a 50–49 vote on March 18, 2021, with all but one Democrat present and one Republican, Susan Collins, voting in favor.[64][65] This was the narrowest vote for any of Biden's cabinet positions. On March 22, 2021, Becerra was sworn in to be the new secretary.[66]

Tenure

Soon after officially becoming the secretary of health and human services, Becerra released a statement praising the Affordable Care Act and encouraging people to keep enrolling in its health care program.[67]

Becerra has been credited for his efforts to preserve reproductive rights[68] across the country,[69] to expand Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage for more than half the states in the nation.[70] He has consistently cited curbing health care costs, advancing women's health, and tackling gaps in who has access to health care as big priorities.[71][72]

Medicare drug price negotiations

Becerra helped reduce prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries by allowing direct price negotiations for high-cost medications under the Inflation Reduction Act.

In 2023, Becerra and HHS finalized negotiations for 10 high-cost drugs, including Eliquis, Jardiance, and Xarelto, achieving discounts of 38% to 79%. These lower prices, effective in 2026, would have saved Medicare $6 billion in 2023 alone.[73] Later, Becerra announced 15 additional drugs for negotiation in 2025, with reduced prices set to take effect in 2027. These medications, including Ozempic, Ibrance, and Vraylar, account for $41 billion in annual Medicare Part D spending and treat conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma.[74]

Additional matters

Becerra oversaw one of the biggest reform efforts of sub-agencies in HHS's history, including at the Food and Drug Administration[75] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[76]

Becerra was criticized as health and human services secretary for being absent in the public eye during the pandemic, for confusing messaging by federal public health authorities and for the subsequent loss of public trust, and for his collaborative management style while serving as secretary; his defenders said he was given an unclear role as secretary.[77] Becerra was similarly criticized following his agency's response to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak amid issues with health policy communication and what was widely considered a slow response; White House officials said that Becerra sought to scapegoat the states rather than take responsibility for the subpar response.[78]

In 2023, Becerra rejected cancer patients’ petition to use a law which allows HHS regulators to rescind exclusive patent protections for government-developed drugs making them more available to the generic market.[79]

Other political ambitions

2001 Los Angeles mayoral election

Main article: 2001 Los Angeles mayoral election

Becerra ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He finished with 6% of the primary vote.[80]

Consideration for federal government positions

In 2008, Becerra was considered for the position of U.S. trade representative in the administration of President-elect Obama.[81] While it was reported that he had already accepted,[82] he announced on December 15 that he would not accept the position.[83]

Becerra was on the shortlist of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for the vice presidential nomination in 2016.[80][84] Senator Tim Kaine was eventually chosen.

2020 U.S. Senate speculation

In August 2020, California senator Kamala Harris was selected by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. After Biden ultimately won the general election, Becerra was floated as a possible replacement for Harris' senate seat, along with others such as Representative Karen Bass, Representative Barbara Lee, Secretary of State Alex Padilla (who was eventually chosen), and former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.[85][86][87]

2026 California gubernatorial campaign

Main article: 2026 California gubernatorial election

In the 2026 California gubernatorial election, incumbent governor Gavin Newsom is ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits. In February 2024, Politico reported that Becerra was considering a run for governor, and that he or affiliated individuals had approached a political consulting firm to that effect, a potential violation of the Hatch Act.[88][89] On April 2, 2025, Becerra declared his candidacy for the election.[88]

Campaign finance scandal

In November 2025, Politico reported on a scheme in which Becerra's closest aides, including his chief of staff of 20 years and Governor Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, had siphoned money from his campaign accounts for years. The total amount was reported to be $225,000 over two years. Although Becerra was not accused of wrongdoing, Politico reported that he was facing scrutiny as to how he had not known about the situation until federal investigators approached him.[90] Becerra had previously faced criticism for suspected campaign finance violations; in 2024, it had been reported that he was paying $10,000 a month for campaign reporting from a dormant state account, an apparent Hatch Act violation. Becerra stated that the expenditures were for account maintenance, which political experts stated to be "a very high cost to pay."[90]

Personal life

Becerra is married to physician Carolina Reyes, and they have three daughters.[91] He is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, based in Washington, D.C.[92] Becerra is Roman Catholic.[93]

See also

References

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