Xavier becerra secretary of health and human services

Xavier Becerra is the secretary for health and human services under US President Joe Biden. He previously served as the attorney general for California. He was also a member of the US House of Representatives for California’s 34th district from 1993 to 2017.

As chair of the Democratic Caucus, Becerra wielded a strong voice in House Democratic leadership, helping to set priorities and drive the legislative decision making process. He dedicated himself to promoting issues affecting industries critical to the economic vitality of the Southern California region such as health care, high technology, entertainment, and stimulating free, yet fair, trade.

The first Latino to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, Becerra used his position to increase opportunities for working families, to improve the Social Security program for women and minorities, to combat poverty among the working poor, and to strengthen Medicare and ensure its long-term viability. He served on the Social Security Subcommittee. In 2010, Becerra served on the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Becerra was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) where he served as chair during the 105th Congress (1997-98). He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Prior to his election to Congress, Becerra served one term in the California Legislature as the representative of the 59th Assembly District in Los Angeles County. He is a former deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice. Becerra began his legal career in 1984 working in a legal services office representing the mentally ill. Becerra earned his BA in economics from Stanford University. He was awarded his JD from Stanford Law School in 1984.

Becerra is currently on leave from the Dialogue until the end of his term.

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Xavier Becerra is secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to becoming secretary in 2021, Becerra was attorney general of California, where he addressed Medicare and Medicaid fraud; combatted the opioid crisis, holding drug makers accountable; won a $575 million antitrust settlement against one of the largest health systems in California; and led the three-year federal court fight to save the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Becerra served twelve terms in the US House of Representatives. He was the first Latino on the Committee on Ways and Means, and was chairman of his party's caucus and ranking member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security and the Subcommittee on Health. Becerra was one of the original co-sponsors of the ACA.

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• Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra filed to run for California Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2030.
• Becerra has more than $1.7 million in campaign contributions left over in his old California attorney general account.
• But it is entirely possible this is an accounting maneuver and he will never run for this office. 

The nation's top health official is running to be the chief of California public schools.

In 2030. 

Maybe.

Xavier Becerra, current US secretary of health and human services and former Democratic attorney general of California, recently filed paperwork to run for California Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2030.

Becerra, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to his current office in 2021, is not running for attorney general this year, but has a committee for Becerra for Attorney General 2022 that's still active. 

It's entirely possible Becerra will never actually run for superintendent in California. His creation of a new political committee is likely an accounting mechanism for him to preserve full, future access to his $1.76 million in left-over California campaign cash.

Despite his filing in California, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said Becerra has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.

"The Secretary would tell you he's not leaving his position today, tomorrow or during this Administration," HHS spokesperson Sarah Lovenheim told Insider. "The Secretary simply filed documents to preserve funds from his now-defunct 2022 Becerra for Attorney General account pursuant to California law." 

If Becerra hadn't done anything about the money past December 31, any funds still on the account of Becerra for Attorney General 2022 would become "surplus funds" — money he couldn't directly use for a future election in California.

Under California election rules, a candidate must eventually transfers leftover funds from an inactive political committee or they become "surplus" funds that can no longer be used for active campaign purposes.

Such "surplus" funds may only be used for several specific or limited expenditures, including payments for outstanding campaign debts or officeholder expenses, refunds to contributors, donations to a nonprofit organization, or contributions to support or oppose any candidates for elective office in a state other than California.

Becerra's filing was first noted by Rob Pyers, research director for the nonpartisan California Target Book.

'Unusual circumstance'

In California, it's not unusual for politicians to open a committee for an office years away, said Jay Wierenga, communications director at the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Assuming one follows the law and regulations, he told Insider, there are ways to legally transfer money from one committee to another for a future run for political office. 

"It is very common for people to open a committee for a potential run for a future office," he said. "It is legal, as long as regulations are followed." 

While Becerra's actions may be something that's legal under the letter of what California rules say, they raise questions on his intentions, Patrick Llewellyn, director of the state and local campaign finance program at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, told Insider. 

"It is a very unusual circumstance for someone to declare their candidacy for any office this far in advance," he said. "Given California's rules for leftover committee funds, it raises questions about his reasons for doing so." 

Ann Ravel, former chair of both the Federal Election Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said Becerra could be opening the new account for several reasons.

"One of them is for economics and also to dissuade potential opponents from running," Ravel told Insider.

Becerra has been subjected to much criticism in his role, from his handling of the coronavirus pandemic to his response to the monkeypox outbreak, but he could conceivably serve in his current position until 2029 if Biden runs for and wins re-election to the White House. 

What nationality is Becerra?

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