Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Becerra Confirmed To Run HHS In Tight Senate Vote
AP: Becerra Confirmed To Shepherd Biden's Ambitious Health Plans
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 $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 Central American migrants arriving daily at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/18)
The Washington Post: Becerra Squeaks Through Confirmation Vote To Become HHS Secretary
Xavier Becerra narrowly won confirmation Thursday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency pivotal to President Biden’s urgent goal of defeating the coronavirus pandemic and expanding access to health care. Becerra, a congressman from Los Angeles for two dozen years and then California attorney general, squeaked by on a vote of 50 to 49, the closest margin for any of the Biden Cabinet members the Senate has confirmed so far. (Goldstein, 3/18)
Politico: Senate Narrowly Confirms Becerra As Health Secretary
Maine Republican Susan Collins joined all of the Democrats present in the 50-49 vote — the tightest tally for any of Biden's Cabinet picks to date and an unusually narrow margin for an HHS secretary. Becerra, who served in the House for more than two decades before becoming California’s Attorney General, will become the first Latino to head the sprawling federal health department. Thursday’s vote came nearly four months after Becerra emerged as the nominee following a turbulent process to fill the key health post amid a global pandemic. The nomination was then stalled for weeks by a stalemate over how Democrats and Republicans would share power in a 50-50 Senate. (Ollstein, 3/18)
The Hill: Senate Confirms Becerra In Tight Vote With Just One GOP Defection
Collins previously cited Becerra's commitment to rural health care, and a shared goal of lowering drug prices, among her reasons for supporting him. Becerra was attacked for his views on abortion and past support for Medicare for All, with conservatives accusing him of being a liberal extremist with no experience in health care. (Weixel, 3/18)
CNN: Senate Narrowly Confirms Xavier Becerra As Health And Human Services Secretary
During the confirmation process, Becerra stressed his upbringing, his father's recent passing and his efforts for expanding health care access as California's attorney general and a 24-year Congressman representing a Los Angeles-based district. The vast majority of Senate Republicans opposed Becerra's nomination over his support for abortion rights and his lack of a background as a health care professional. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Becerra's experience and blasted Republicans' arguments against him, saying they "almost verge on the ridiculous." (Rogers, 3/18)
The Wall Street Journal: Senate Confirms Xavier Becerra As Secretary Of Health And Human Services
The secretary has said he would work on a bipartisan basis to safeguard insurance-coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions, reduce healthcare costs and sustain the ACA markets. He has also said he would work to fight the coronavirus pandemic and meet weekly with President Biden on vaccine distribution, availability of personal protective equipment and advocating that people wear masks. “He’s got to make sure he has the right career people on staff because a lot of people have left,” said Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA, a healthcare advocacy group. He said Mr. Becerra, who repeatedly litigated Trump-era policies, may go after consolidation in the health industry and other factors that are behind rising healthcare costs. (Armour, 3/18)
Roll Call: Senate Confirms Becerra As Biden's Health Secretary
The Senate voted, 50-49, on Thursday to confirm Xavier Becerra as the first Latino secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra will take charge of a health department a year into a global pandemic that has reshaped how doctors provide care, highlighted racial and ethnic disparities in the health care system and threatened employer-sponsored health insurance for people who lost their jobs. (McIntire, 3/18)
