Is Xavier Becerra’s next move running for governor? He’s not saying. Yet.
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- Becerra says he’s mulling options now that his time in the Biden Cabinet is over. Some allies say he’s strongly considering a run for California governor.
- The main challenge he faced leading the Department of Health and Human Services, Becerra said, was “COVID. COVID. COVID. There was nothing else.”
- His potential successor to lead HHS is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who questions the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
WASHINGTON — He’s served in the California Legislature, in Congress and, most recently, in the Cabinet as President Biden’s secretary of Health and Human Services.
And don’t forget his time as California’s attorney general, a post also once held by Vice President Kamala Harris and a springboard for higher office.
So what’s next for Xavier Becerra?
According to Becerra allies, who requested anonymity to discuss his plans candidly, he is “strongly considering” running for governor and is already exploring the possibility with members of the state’s congressional delegation, donor class and potential supporters.
If Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run for California governor, she would seismically reshape the race and cause ripple effects on down-ballot contests.
Becerra last week demurred when asked about his plans days after leaving his federal post.
“I’m in the process of transitioning back to California,” he said. “I have lots to think about, including seeing more of my family.“
In an earlier interview held in the formal conference room outside his HHS office, Becerra reflected on his tenure in the Biden administration leading a team of 95,000. It was just three days before President Trump’s inauguration, as staffers took down nameplates from nearby doors.
“Looking back, it’s been a momentous four years,” the 66-year-old Becerra said. “I think most people would tell you that we have delivered on mission. We were very focused. We took over at a time of very difficult circumstances. We climbed our way out.”
Asked what his first priorities were when he took the oath of office in March 2021, Becerra replied, “COVID. COVID. COVID. There was nothing else.”
Among the administration’s top accomplishments, he said, was getting 700 million COVID vaccination shots into the arms of Americans, and people could get their shots just about anywhere — from large-scale distribution centers to barbershops to pharmacies. “We realized we had to get to where people were,” he said.
He also cited providing more than 300 million people access to healthcare, with 46 million Americans getting health insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. He also touted the launch of the 988 hotline that provides round-the-clock suicide and crisis counseling.
“We’ve never had an administration be this direct and determined on mental health — to the point where the resources can’t be matched,” Becerra said. “It’s historically the largest investment in mental health.”
Asked whether he was concerned about the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Senate and House rolling back these gains, he said his agency had worked to protect them.
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For instance, Becerra, who was the first Health and Human Services secretary to visit a Planned Parenthood clinic, pointed to the administration’s work on reproductive care, such as going to the Supreme Court to protect access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used to medically end pregnancy.
“We’ve clearly played strong defense,” he said.
He also said he was optimistic now that Americans are more familiar with the protections they received under the Affordable Care Act, such as coverage for preexisting conditions, which will make it politically more difficult for Republicans to accomplish policy goals such as repealing Obamacare.
“Too many people know now. Before, they weren’t familiar with it. Today, they know what they’ve got,” Becerra said. “You could be complacent. You don’t have to worry because right now you’ve got your care. But come November, December, if the typical scenario is playing out in Congress where they’ve got a budget showdown and those tax credits are getting ready to expire, I think people are going to rise up and say, ‘Wait a minute, that’s my healthcare.’”
Under Biden the enrollment period for ACA had been extended in most states — a factor contributing to the program’s growth — but just days after Becerra’s interview, Trump signed an executive order ending that extension.
I’m the son of immigrants. So optimism runs in my DNA
— Xavier Becerra
Though Becerra’s possible successor, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and other members of Trump’s circle are openly skeptical about or dismissive of prevailing scientific theories and practices, Becerra said he believes that, ultimately, science and fact will prevail.
“I’m the son of immigrants. So optimism runs in my DNA,” Becerra said.
Now that his tenure is over, he said he looks forward to returning to California and being able to be unshaven and wear jeans when he sees his family.
“I love California because of its energy. I think of California the way I think of my family: The glass is half full for us,” Becerra said, noting that he was the first in his family to go to college and all three of his daughters went to college. “We’re still going. We’re still on the up. We haven’t seen the best days yet.”
Are those the words of a potential gubernatorial candidate? Perhaps.
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