California AG Xavier Becerra Confirmed as Biden's Health Secretary

The Senate voted 50-49 on Thursday to confirm Xavier Becerra as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Why it matters: Becerra, the first Latino to lead the department, is now in charge of overseeing the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic while executing much of the Biden administration's health agenda.

Context: Becerra was one of President Biden's most controversial nominees. He sued the Trump administration more than 100 times while attorney general for the state of California, and Republicans, who largely opposed the confirmation, said he was...

The Senate on Thursday confirmed California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as President Joe Biden’s health secretary, filling a key position in the administration’s coronavirus response and its ambitious push to lower drug costs, expand insurance coverage, and eliminate racial disparities in medical care.

The 50-49 largely party-line vote makes the 63-year-old Becerra the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The $1.4 trillion agency encompasses health insurance programs, drug safety and approvals, advanced medical research, substance abuse treatment, and the welfare of children, including hundreds of...