Xavier Becerra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xavier Becerra
Off‌icial portrait, 2021
25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
In office March 19, 2021 – January 20, 2025
President	Joe Biden
Deputy	Andrea Palm
Preceded by	Alex Azar
Succeeded by	Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
33rd Attorney General of California
In office January 24, 2017 – March 18, 2021
Governor	Jerry Brown Gavin Newsom
Preceded by	Kamala Harris
Succeeded by	Rob Bonta
Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2017
Deputy	Joe Crowley
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	John Larson
Succeeded by	Joe Crowley
Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2013
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	Daniel Larson
Succeeded by	Joe Crowley
House Democratic Assistant to the Leader
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
Leader	Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by	John Spratt
Succeeded by	Chris Van Hollen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
In office January 3, 1993 – January 24, 2017
Preceded by	Edward Roybal (redistricted)
Succeeded by	Jimmy Gomez
Constituency	30th district (1993–2003) 31st district (2003–2013) 34th district (2013–2017)
Member of the California State Assembly from the 59th district
In office December 3, 1990 – December 3, 1992
Preceded by	Charles Calderon
Succeeded by	Dick Mountjoy
Personal details
Born	(1958-01-26) January 26, 1958 (age 67) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Carolina Reyes
Children	3
Education	Stanford University (BA, JD)

Xavier Becerra ( hah-VEE-air-_-bih-SERR-ə born January 26, 1958) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services, a position he held from March 19, 2021 to January 20, 2025. He is the first Latino to hold the position. Becerra previously served as the attorney general of California from January 2017 until March 2021. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing downtown Los Angeles in Congress from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Becerra was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017.

Born in Sacramento, California, Becerra graduated from Stanford University and received his Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. He worked as a lawyer at the Legal Assistance Corporation of central Massachusetts, before returning to California in 1986 to work as an administrative assistant for state senator Art Torres. He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 1987 to 1990 before he was elected to the California State Assembly, where he served one term from 1990 to 1992.

Becerra was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992. He represented California's 30th congressional district from 1993 to 2003, California's 31st congressional district from 2003 to 2013, and California's 34th congressional district from 2013 to 2017. He served as Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999, Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2009 to 2013, and as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. He was elected Chairman of the U.S. House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017.

Early life and education

Born in Sacramento, California, on January 26, 1958, Becerra is the son of working-class parents, 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. As a child, Becerra grew up in a one-room apartment with his three sisters. He graduated in 1976 from C.K. McClatchy High School, located in the center of Sacramento. He studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain, from 1978 to 1979, before earning his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Stanford University in 1980, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college. He received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985.

Early career

Becerra began his career as an attorney, working on cases involving individuals who had mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts (now Community Legal Aid).

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

After incumbent state assemblyman Charles Calderon decided to seek a seat in the California Senate, Becerra launched a grass-roots campaign for the California State Assembly, defeating Calderon's Senate aide Marta Maestas in the Democratic primary. He went on to defeat Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall, receiving 60% of the vote. Becerra served one term in the State Assembly, representing California's 59th district, from 1990 to 1992. As a state legislator, Becerra worked to pass a law that would increase gang members' sentences.

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

Elections

In 1992, 25th district congressman Edward Roybal announced his retirement after 30 years in Congress. Becerra entered the race for the seat, which had been renumbered as the 30th district after redistricting. Becerra won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 32% of the vote. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg, 58%–24%. He won re-election to a second term in 1994 with 66% of the vote. His district was renumbered as the 31st district after the 2000 census.

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%.

Tenure

Elijah Cummings, Xavier Becerra, and Robert Matsui at a press conference on civil rights in 1997

Tipper Gore, Becerra, and President Bill Clinton

Becerra was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which he served as chairman during the 105th Congress.

Becerra voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because he "wanted to see direct protections for responsible homeowners" in the bill.

Becerra was appointed assistant to the speaker of the House for the 110th Congress. 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.

Becerra successfully ran for a second term as Vice-Chair in 2011 to serve during the 112th Congress.

During the 111th Congress and 112th Congress, Becerra served on several high-profile committees. He was appointed to serve on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (often called Bowles-Simpson/Simpson-Bowles) on March 24, 2010. Becerra was selected to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the Super Committee) on August 11, 2011. And on December 23, 2011, he was appointed to serve on a bi-cameral conference committee to find bi-partisan solutions on middle-class tax cuts, unemployment insurance, and the Medicare physician payment rate.

Becerra had a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and was the first Latino to serve on the committee.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Social Security
• Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus (Former Chair)
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus

Other political ambitions

2001 Los Angeles mayoral election

Becerra ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He finished with 6% of the primary vote, finishing behind businessman Steve Soboroff, Councilman Joel Wachs, former California State Assembly speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, and the eventual winner, then-city attorney James Hahn.

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. While it was reported that he had already accepted, he announced on December 15 that he would not accept the position. Becerra had endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama for president on January 27, 2008.

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

During the presidential transition of Joe Biden in 2020, it was reported that Becerra was being considered for the Cabinet positions of secretary of homeland security and attorney general.

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, 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 Solís. Early December reports that Biden planned to nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services rendered such speculation moot.

2026 California governor speculation

In the 2026 California gubernatorial election, incumbent governor Gavin Newsom will be 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. Becerra's tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services was described as "frustrating and at times rocky" by the Politico article and in a previous interview Becerra said that he missed being California attorney general because of the autonomy of the position.

California Attorney General (2017–2021)

Becerra speaking to the California Democratic Party State Convention in 2019

Becerra accepted Governor Jerry Brown's offer to be the attorney general of California on December 1, 2016. The California Legislature confirmed Becerra to the post on January 23, 2017. He succeeded Kamala Harris, who was elected to the United States Senate. Becerra was sworn in on January 24, 2017, becoming the first Latino to serve as California's attorney general. Becerra was elected to a full four-year term in 2018, after defeating Republican challenger Steven Bailey and securing 61 percent of the vote.

While Attorney General, Becerra was challenged the policymaking by President Trump that would disproportionately impact California, home to one in ten Americans. He delivered the Democratic Spanish-language response to President Trump's 2019 State of the Union address.

During his tenure as California attorney general, Xavier Becerra filed 122 lawsuits against the Trump administration, focusing on environmental and healthcare issues. Notably, he successfully defended significant national policies such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before the United States Supreme Court.

California Department of Justice reforms

Bureau of Environmental Justice

In 2018, Becerra created an environmental justice bureau at the California Department of Justice. Among other legal actions, 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, and confirming that such local ordinances are not preempted by state law. The bureau also intervened in a lawsuit against the city of Fresno in 2018, leading to the city rescinding its approval of a large industrial warehouse project due to inadequate environmental review. By focusing on disparities such as the prevalence of polluting facilities near low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, the bureau's work has significantly addressed environmental justice concerns.

Protection of Natural Resources

Shasta Dam injunction and environmental impact

On July 31, 2019, Becerra achieved a significant legal victory when a Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction to stop Westlands Water District's involvement in a project to raise the Shasta Dam. Becerra's lawsuit argued that the project contravened the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, threatening the McCloud River's ecology. Federal studies revealed that raising the dam would expand the inundation of the river by 39%, adversely affecting its fisheries, habitats, and submerging sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.

Legal action against Tijuana River pollution

In September 2018, Becerra filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. This action was in response to over 12 million gallons of untreated wastewater from the Tijuana River Watershed flowing into California, violating the Clean Water Act. The untreated wastewater, containing hazardous levels of pesticides, heavy metals, and bacteria, posed a significant threat to human health and the environment.

Protection of Redwood City Salt Ponds

In October 2020, Becerra achieved a significant legal victory in protecting the Redwood City Salt Ponds, vital to the San Francisco Bay's ecosystem. The U.S. District Court's ruling against the EPA's exclusion of the Salt Ponds from the Clean Water Act safeguards these areas from urban development. Additionally, efforts to restore the Salt Ponds as salt marshes and wetlands have been instrumental in enhancing the Bay's ecological health and bolstering climate change resilience, particularly against sea level rise.

Protection of endangered species in Sacramento and San Joaquin River

In February 2020, Becerra, exercising his independent authority as defined in the California Constitution (art. V, § 13) and Government Code (§§ 12660–12612), filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on behalf of the People of the State of California. The legal challenge focused on the federal government's inadequacy in protecting endangered species in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. It specifically scrutinized the biological opinions provided under the Endangered Species Act in relation to federal water export operations, emphasizing their insufficient protection of vulnerable species and habitats in the Bay-Delta area. 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.

Ballot drafting

As Attorney General of California, Becerra was tasked with writing ballot titles and summaries that appeared on voter information guides and ballots in both the 2018 and 2020 elections. Proponents accused Becerra multiple times of writing biased descriptions that violated the law, which requires "a true and impartial statement of the purpose" of measures. In one of many unsuccessful lawsuits against Becerra, a state judge wrote that attorneys general have "wide latitude" in how they write ballot descriptions. Critics said the responsibility to write the ballot title and summary should be transferred to a different, non-partisan office.

Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025)

Nomination and confirmation

After Joe Biden's election as president in November 2020, Becerra was considered a candidate for United States attorney general. The New York Times reported in early December 2020 that Biden would nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 50–49 on March 18, 2021, with all but one Democrat present and one Republican, Susan Collins, voting in favor. 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.

Tenure

Secretary Becerra with First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, June 4, 2021

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. Becerra also became Secretary during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which his cabinet department the U.S. Health and Human Services was mainly responsible for mitigating the pandemic's effects to the American public.

Becerra is credited for his critical efforts to preserve reproductive rights across the country, to expand Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage for more than half the states in the nation and slashing disparities in access to public health tools—particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 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—along with protecting public health.

Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

Becerra was instrumental in implementing Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This landmark initiative aims to reduce prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries by allowing direct price negotiations for high-cost medications.

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. Building on this success, 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.

Additional Matters

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

Becerra has been 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. 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.

In 2023, The New York Times published investigations regarding immigrant child laborers who are working in violation of child labor laws across the U.S. According to the Times' reports, "Again and again, veteran government staffers and outside contractors told the Health and Human Services Department, including in reports that reached Secretary Xavier Becerra, that children appeared to be at risk". The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the welfare of these children.

Personal life

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

Election history

California State Assembly

U.S. House of Representatives

California Attorney General

See also

In Spanish: Xavier Becerra para niños

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in California
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress