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Republicans Ramp Up Opposition To Biden’s ‘Radical’ HHS Pick Xavier Becerra After Tie Confirmation Vote

By: Jordan Boyd
3 min read
Xavier Becerra

Now that the White House withdrew Neera Tanden’s nomination for the administration’s top budget office, Republicans are shifting their focus to keep Becerra out of power.

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President Joe Biden’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, Xavier Becerra, received no votes from Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday morning, resulting in a tie that could toss the confirmation decision to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the rest of the upper chamber.

Now that the White House withdrew Neera Tanden’s nomination for the administration’s top budget office following pressure and questions about her ability to project Biden’s message of unity after she spent years hurling insults and mean tweets at conservative and even progressive politicians, congressional Republicans are shifting their focus to keep Becerra out of power.

Reasons for opposition to Becerra’s confirmation, especially by Republican legislators and conservative activist groups, continue to pile up, with many citing his lack of health experience and qualifications, his radical position and track record on abortion, his refusal to call for free and fair elections in Cuba after meeting with dictator Fidel Castro, his efforts to pursue legal action against the Little Sisters of the Poor for refusing to comply with Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate on religious grounds, and his promotion of Obamacare, open borders, gun control, and radical climate plans.

Some groups, including Heritage Action for America, are pouring money into television advertisements in states such as Arizona and West Virginia to call senators’ attention to some of these radical positions, while others are capitalizing on his weaponization of the power that came with his position as attorney general of California to target people of faith for their pro-life convictions and prosecute pro-life citizen journalists. Just last week, more than 60 pro-life leaders urged Senate committees to reject Becerra as the nominee based on his “vocal pro-abortion advocacy.”

“Mr. Becerra’s confirmation would be divisive and a step in the wrong direction. We understand that the president needs to assemble a cabinet; however, Mr. Becerra has proven himself to be an enemy of the health of women and the unborn,” the letter states. “He cannot be entrusted with our national health programs and policies and is not qualified to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services.”

Reports suggest that certain Republican senators who may have been on the fence about Becerra, such as Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, are now settled to vote against the HHS nominee, leaving space for the Republicans to possibly sink his nomination with more support.

Democrats and their activist allies, however, are also fighting to confirm Becerra, saying he possesses the leadership and experience they need to accomplish their agenda.

During his confirmation hearings, Becerra not only dodged Republicans’ questions about these issues, including his previous support of partial-birth abortions, but the former California attorney general also falsely claimed he never sued nuns.

“I have never sued the nuns, any nuns,” Becerra said last week. “I’ve never sued any affiliation of nuns, and my actions have always been directed at the federal agencies.”

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and co-producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @jordanboydtx.

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