Received this e-mail from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D. MD) re-election campaign:
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D. MD)
Today the Senate begins confirmation hearings for President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
I worked closely with Xavier during our time serving together in the House of Representatives and I am proud to support his nomination. He’s a talented and dedicated public servant who has fought to expand and protect access to affordable health care throughout his entire career.
I have no doubt that Xavier Becerra will be a strong and capable leader as head of our nation’s public health agency. We need to confirm him as soon as possible to help advance the administration’s efforts to defeat this historic pandemic.
But Republicans are already trying to sink Xavier’s confirmation. Senator Tom Cotton has attacked this nominee for supporting California’s lockdown policies to address the pandemic. It’s flat out irresponsible to play politics with American lives, but Cotton and others refuse to turn the page on the Trump playbook.
Leaving the top post at Health and Human Services vacant would be irresponsible at any time. But refusing to appoint the President’s nominee for this position in the midst of this historic public health crisis verges on criminal.
As Attorney General of California, Xavier Becerra marshalled the resources of a large bureaucracy to protect patients and defend the Affordable Care Act. He’ll bring that same experience to bear advocating for our public health as HHS Secretary.
