Xavier Becerra, the attorney general of California and a 12-term Congressman from Los Angeles has been selected by Joe Biden to become the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. The New York Times breaks the story:
Mr. Becerra became Mr. Biden’s clear choice only over the last few days, according to people familiar with the transition’s deliberations, and was a surprise. He has carved out a profile more on the issues of criminal justice, immigration and tax policy, and he was long thought to be a candidate for attorney general.
But as attorney general in California, he led legal efforts on health care, including seeking to protect the Affordable Care Act from being dismantled by Republican attorneys general. He has also been a leading voice in the Democratic Party for women’s health.
The Times also adds that the selection of Becerra ends “a politically delicate search that brought complaints from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about a lack of Latinos in the incoming cabinet.”
Becerra became a fierce advocate for the Latino community while in Congress and was deeply involved in immigration reform, according to the Times.