Biden Selects Latinx Becerra as Health Secretary Nominee (Comprehensive)

NYT Reports Appointment Citing Sources
Legal Expert Nominated as Health Minister Candidate

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 6th (local time) that President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Xavier Becerra (62), California Attorney General, as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Xavier Becerra (62), Attorney General of California
[Image source=AP News]

On the same day, the NYT cited sources saying that President-elect Biden has included Attorney General Becerra on the final list for Secretary of Health and Human Services. U.S. media emphasized that if this appointment materializes, it would be a surprise event. Becerra, who was elected to the House of Representatives 12 times, is known to have deep expertise mainly in criminal law, immigration, and taxation. Because of this, there had been speculation that if Becerra were selected for the Biden administration, he was more likely to become Attorney General.

However, Attorney General Becerra is not a novice in the health field. According to the NYT, while working for the California state government, he led legal efforts to uphold patient protections and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and he was also an active voice on women's health issues within the Democratic Party.

President-elect Biden is reported to have made efforts to find an experienced and suitable candidate who can restore public trust in the government, especially in crisis management in the health sector, as COVID-19 spreads across the United States.

Attorney General Becerra is from Sacramento, California, and his mother is a Mexican immigrant. The NYT also introduced Becerra as a self-made figure, noting that his parents officially have no record of attending school. In fact, he was the first in his family to attend college, completing both undergraduate and law school courses at Stanford University.

The NYT predicted that if Becerra is actually appointed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, some of the dissatisfaction among the Latinx community would subside. Until now, the Latinx community has expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of Latinx representation in the Biden administration's cabinet.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.