Biden Picks Xavier Becerra to Lead Health and Human Services

By artappraiser on Mon, 12/07/2020 - 8:37pm |

SCOOP -- Joe Biden will nominate Xavier Becerra, the attorney general in California, to be the next HHS secretary, a victory for the Cong. Hispanic Caucus, which he used to lead, and had pressed for more high-profile Latinos in the cabinet. w/@SherylNYT https://t.co/UyWU9lAdDI
— Michael D. Shear (@shearm) December 6, 2020

URL:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/us/politics/xavier-becerra-hhs-health-secretary.html

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major pan of the choice by an op-ed columnist at the Sacramento Bee:

Reality Check: As California attorney general, Xavier Becerra resisted transparency, threatened legal action against journalists, ducked police reforms and declined to investigate the police killing of an unarmed Latino man. https://t.co/lecYZkBzU7
— gil duran (@gilduran76) December 7, 2020

related tweet by the man himself:

In Congress, I helped pass the Affordable Care Act. As California's Attorney General, I defended it. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, I will build on our progress and ensure every American has access to quality, affordable health care—through this pandemic and beyond.
— Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) December 7, 2020

by artappraiser on Mon, 12/07/2020 - 8:42pm

Kraushaar here is quoting the second paragraph of the A.P. article cited:

Becerra “is not a health care expert and has not overseen an office as sprawling as the Department of Health and Human Services.” https://t.co/6pAnWx4EVv
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) December 8, 2020

by artappraiser on Mon, 12/07/2020 - 9:22pm

Well... AZAR?

Well Azar hasn't possessed the greatest background for HHS and the oversight the CDC as an attorney and former pharmaceutical executive president of the U.S. division of Eli Lilly and Company, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a large pharmaceutical lobbying association. And primarily a toady for the administration.

~OGD~

by oldenGoldenDecoy on Mon, 12/07/2020 - 10:18pm

Is comparing Trump picks a help?

Presumably we know by now most Trump picks are unqualified and have conflicts if interest, frequently working *against* the stated goals and purposes of the orgs they head.

And often they're just disingenuous dicks.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/chris-wall...

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 3:56am

What's worse?

A person who serves the best interests of the
citizens or a disingenuous dick and toady for
the administration?

That's my point. Nothing more nothing less

~OGD~

by oldenGoldenDecoy on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 2:56pm

Many may not realize how much health policy experience @AGBecerra has. He was very active in the #ACA's passage as part of House leadership & obviously took a lead defending the law in court. But as AG he's been active in on key health issues, from such prices to consolidation.
— Anthony Wright (@aewright) December 6, 2020

Becerra has been a champion for reproductive health, and immigrant health, opposing the "public charge" regulations that discouraged legal immigrants from getting needed care. He stood up to hospitals who tried to wriggle out of charity care requirements. He's been an active AG.
— Anthony Wright (@aewright) December 6, 2020

The CA AG's authority was historically wide-ranging but dispersed in different silos, from computer protection to anti-trust law to oversight over charitable nonprofits & assets. Notably, @AGBecerra convened a task force within the CA DOJ to focus on health care as a portfolio.
— Anthony Wright (@aewright) December 7, 2020

He not only led the defense of the #ACA in the courts, but @XavierBecerra also played a key role in its passage. And he has health policy experience, including on reproductive health & immigration. @aewright (@healthaccess ExecDir), shares more:

2/https://t.co/IdnRIZbgwz
— Elena Hung (@ElenaHung202) December 7, 2020

I spent every single day of the past 4 years fighting to protect our health care: ACA, Medicaid, disability justice.

I trust @XavierBecerra's experience, his commitment to health care for all & his leadership on #COVID response.

I'm absolutely THRILLED for him to lead HHS

5/x pic.twitter.com/oxwwSJPtQj
— Elena Hung (@ElenaHung202) December 7, 2020

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 3:42pm

Good catch PP...

This alone makes Javier worth his weight in medical platinum.

~OGD~

ps: As Governor Jerry was quoted as saying
when the jackass entered the White House,
"We have lots and lots of lawyers in California."

by oldenGoldenDecoy on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 6:19pm

Preventing the next pandemic?

My new @NatureMedicine article on COVID-19: begins & ends with drinking a virgin mojito on the beach. https://t.co/oBvTXkVNKj
— Prof. Devi Sridhar (@devisridhar) December 7, 2020

Feb 9:

"We don’t fully understand how the new coronavirus is transmitted yet...

"Even with this uncertainty, it is clear that we can enlist buildings to help us in this fight

"it’s quite easy to improve ventilation and filtration in most buildings..."https://t.co/XCLLjRUUQ9
— Joseph Allen (@j_g_allen) December 8, 2020

by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 4:47am

the perfect is the enemy of the good thing well said

Wait, I have now seen four people Biden has chosen to lead departments and not one has called anyone a loser. I’m gonna have to start listening to music again.
— Titus (@TitusNation) December 8, 2020

It's all so boring so why am I so excited?
— LuC4zNytMare (@LuC4zNytMare) December 8, 2020

Cuz the fear of death is waning. https://t.co/nOgXQLYAfl
— Titus (@TitusNation) December 8, 2020

by artappraiser on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 2:45pm

Marcia Fudge supposedly to be HUD secretary, not the job she wanted (I don't like that, gotta say, don't think well of people working without passion, I'm with "Clifford" in his reply I am copying)

NEWS: Biden has chosen Rep. Marcia Fudge to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), two sources tell @kwelkernbc and me. Fudge had long been a top contender, but she and her allies were pushing for Agriculture Secretary.@tylerpager first reported.
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) December 8, 2020

I don't get how these people are interchangeable across agencies. Shouldn't leading HUD vs Agriculture require some sort of specialization? Lots of stories about people getting one leadership post when they were hoping to lead a different agency.
— Clifford (@CIiff0rd) December 8, 2020

this guy points out that Biden is being careful about being yelled at about raiding Dems from Congress, only "safe seats" now

That’s now two vacancies in safe blue districts for Dems https://t.co/BtSs1skUnE
— Kirk A. Bado (@kirk_bado) December 8, 2020

by artappraiser on Tue, 12/08/2020 - 5:56pm

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