Xavier Becerra: Who Is the Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services?

Xavier Becerra is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 25th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from March 2021 to January 2025 under President Joe Biden. Born on January 26, 1958, in Sacramento, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Becerra became the first Latino to serve as both California Attorney General (2017–2021) and HHS Secretary. His tenure was defined by managing the COVID-19 pandemic response, expanding the Affordable Care Act, and defending reproductive rights.

What Is Xavier Becerra's Political Background?

Becerra graduated from Stanford University in 1980 with a BA in economics and earned his JD from Stanford Law School in 1984. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 1990 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, representing a Los Angeles district. He served 12 consecutive terms in Congress, sitting on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and rising to become House Democratic Caucus Chair in 2013—the fourth-highest Democratic leadership position. In Congress he championed Medicare, Social Security, immigration reform, and workers' rights. Governor Jerry Brown appointed him California Attorney General in January 2017 after Kamala Harris vacated the seat to join the U.S. Senate.

How Did Becerra Perform as California Attorney General?

As California's top law enforcement officer from 2017 to 2021, Becerra filed more than 100 legal actions against the Trump administration, challenging rollbacks on the Affordable Care Act, immigration policies including the 'Remain in Mexico' policy, environmental regulations, and the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census. He defended California's sanctuary state law, AB 60 (driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants), and LGBTQ+ protections. His aggressive legal posture made him a national figure and a symbol of progressive state resistance to federal policy.

What Did Becerra Accomplish as HHS Secretary?

Confirmed by the Senate 50–49 on March 18, 2021, Becerra oversaw a department with a $1.7 trillion budget and 80,000 employees. His most urgent task was steering the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rollout; by summer 2021 the U.S. had administered over 300 million doses. He expanded Medicaid under the American Rescue Plan, reducing the uninsured rate to a record low of 7.9% by 2023. After the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Becerra directed HHS to protect access to abortion-related care and medication including mifepristone. He also worked to lower insulin prices and expand mental health parity rules. Critics argued his department's pandemic messaging was sometimes inconsistent and that he was slow to address the mental health and opioid crises at scale.