President-Elect Biden’s choice of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services signals a devotion to expertise and empathy for children and families in the new Administration.
As a member of Congress from California, Becerra was named a First Focus Champion for Children three years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013).
First Focus President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement about the pick:
“More than ever before, we need a Secretary of Health and Human Services who has profound experience and a proven record with the wide array of issues the department faces – managing the COVID-19 pandemic and the distribution of hundreds of millions of vaccines, protecting and defending Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court, reuniting separated children with their families and providing proper care for unaccompanied children, reducing child poverty, addressing the child care crisis, overhauling the child welfare system, and addressing the entrenched racial disparities that cause inequality in health access and outcomes in our country. Our nation’s children are counting on clear, well-informed, science-driven, and committed leadership to ensure all children have access to the services and supports they need to ensure their well-being, healthy development, and safety.”
“All of us at First Focus on Children extend our congratulations to Attorney General Becerra and offer our help in tackling the challenging work for children that lies ahead.”