Xavier Becerra had a mostly smooth nomination hearing before the Senate health committee Tuesday despite accusations from some GOP members on his support for abortion rights, lack of medical credentials and executive experience in the face of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Becerra, the California attorney general and President Joe Biden’s pick to head up HHS, defended his work on healthcare antitrust issues in his state, which he also represented in Congress for 24 years. As HHS chief he would guide the administration’s response to the pandemic, with oversight over of CMS, the National Institutes of Health and FDA.
