President-elect Joe Biden made the decision to give California Attorney General Xavier Becerra the position of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra’s appointment is still awaiting’ the transition team’s announcement.
Biden is determined to establishing the most diversified administration ever and although there is some development, Biden has been criticized about the number of appointed Latinos thus far. Should the Senate confirm the appointment of Becerra, he will be the Department of Health and Human Services’ very first Latino Secretary. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has praised the selection of Sec. Becerra.
Becerra supports the Affordable Care Act and served to have this legislation pass through the 2009 and 2010 Congress. The previous Los Angeles area congressman was also the leader of the coalition of Democratic states that protected the Affordable Care Act and opposed efforts by the Trump Administration to overturn it. Becerra is going to be responsible for broadening the Affordable Care Act and will probably immediately recall changes done by the Trump government.
Becerra has partnered with the Louisiana Attorney General to improve the drug Remdesivir’s availability within the state and with a lot of Republican Attorneys General in taking legal action versus opioid makers. His achievements in working together with Republicans helped safeguard the position of Secretary of the HHS. Becerra is going to have the job of supervising the HHS action team’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which includes the mass vaccination program that is going to start throughout the United States at the beginning 2021.
Biden has selected Dr. Rochelle Walensky to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walensky is recognized at Massachusetts General Hospital as an infectious disease expert with substantial experience in fighting against HIV/AIDS. The current director of the nationwide Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical consultant on COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci, will continue in those 2 roles.
Biden chose Jeff Zients, President Barack Obama’s then economic advisor, to be the White House coronavirus coordinator. On the other hand, Vivek Murthy, the co-chairman of the coronavirus task force, will take again the Surgeon General position he had’ during the Obama government.
Biden also nominated the Yale School of Medicine professor Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith to become the COVID-19 Equity Task Force chairperson. Deputy campaign manager Natalie Quillian will take the responsibility of being deputy coordinator of the COVID-19 Response. President Biden will announce the other appointees of his health care team in the next couple of days.