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Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra (/hɑːviˈɛər bɪˈsɛrə/ hah-vee-AIR beh-SEHR; Latin American Spanish: [xaˈβjeɾ βeˈsera]; born January 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services since March 2021. He is the first Latino to hold this position in history.[1] Becerra previously served as the Attorney General of California from January 2017 until March 2021. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Downtown Los Angeles in Congress from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Becerra was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017.[2]

Xavier Becerra
Off‌icial portrait, 2021
25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
Assumed office
March 19, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyAndrea Palm
Preceded byAlex Azar
33rd Attorney General of California
In office
January 24, 2017 – March 18, 2021
GovernorJerry Brown
Gavin Newsom
Preceded byKamala Harris
Succeeded byRob Bonta
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 24, 2017
Preceded byEdward Roybal (Redistricting)
Succeeded byJimmy Gomez
Constituency30th district (1993–2003)
31st district (2003–2013)
34th district (2013–2017)
Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2017
DeputyJoe Crowley
LeaderNancy Pelosi
Preceded byJohn Larson
Succeeded byJoe Crowley
Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2013
LeaderNancy Pelosi
Preceded byJohn Larson
Succeeded byJoe Crowley
House Democratic Assistant to the Leader
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
LeaderNancy Pelosi
Preceded byJohn Spratt
Succeeded byChris Van Hollen
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 59th district
In office
December 3, 1990 – December 3, 1992
Preceded byCharles Calderon
Succeeded byDick Mountjoy
Personal details
Born (1958-01-26) January 26, 1958 (age 66)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCarolina Reyes Becerra
Children3
Residences
  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
  • Washington D.C., U.S.
EducationStanford University (BA, JD)
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • politician

Born in Sacramento, California, Becerra graduated from Stanford University and received his Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. He worked as a lawyer at the Legal Assistance Corporation of central Massachusetts, before returning to California in 1986 to work as an administrative assistant for state senator Art Torres. He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 1987 to 1990 before he was elected to the California State Assembly, where he served one term from 1990 to 1992.

Becerra was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992. He represented California's 30th congressional district from 1993 to 2003, California's 31st congressional district from 2003 to 2013, and California's 34th congressional district from 2013 to 2017. He served as Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999, Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2009 to 2013, and as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. He was elected Chairman of the U.S. House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017.

Early life and education edit

Born in Sacramento, California, on January 26, 1958,[3][4] Becerra is the son of working-class parents, Maria Teresa and Manuel Guerrero Becerra. His father was born in the U.S. and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and his mother was from Guadalajara.[5][6][7] As a child, Becerra grew up in a one-room apartment with his three sisters.[8] He graduated in 1976 from C.K. McClatchy High School, located in the center of Sacramento.[9] He studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain, from 1978 to 1979, before earning his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Stanford University in 1980, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college.[10][11] He received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985.[12]

Early career edit

Becerra began his career as a lawyer, working on cases involving individuals who had mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts[13] (now Community Legal Aid).

Becerra worked as an administrative assistant for California state senator Art Torres in 1986.[14] He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 to 1990.[15]

After incumbent state assemblyman Charles Calderon decided to seek a seat in the California Senate, Becerra launched a grass-roots campaign for the California State Assembly, defeating Calderon's Senate aide Marta Maestas in the Democratic primary.[16][better source needed] He went on to defeat Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall, receiving 60% of the vote.[17] Becerra served one term in the State Assembly, representing California's 59th district, from 1990 to 1992.[7] As a state legislator, Becerra worked to pass a law that would increase gang members' sentences.[18]

U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2017) edit

Elections edit

In 1992, 25th district congressman Edward Roybal announced his retirement after 30 years in Congress. Becerra entered the race for the seat, which had been renumbered as the 30th district after redistricting.[citation needed]

Becerra won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 32% of the vote.[19] In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg, 58%–24%.[20] He won re-election to a second term in 1994 with 66%[21] of the vote. His district was renumbered as the 31st district after the 2000 census.[citation needed]

After redistricting, ahead of the 2012 elections, most of Becerra's old district became the 34th district. He defeated Republican Stephen Smith 85.6% to 14.4%.[22]

Tenure edit

 
Elijah Cummings, Xavier Becerra, and Robert Matsui at a press conference on civil rights in 1997
 
Tipper Gore, Becerra, and President Bill Clinton

Becerra was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which he served as chairman during the 105th Congress.[23]

Becerra voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because he "wanted to see direct protections for responsible homeowners" in the bill.[24]

Becerra was appointed assistant to the Speaker of the House for the 110th Congress.[25] He won his bid to succeed John Larson as Vice-Chair in the 111th Congress, defeating Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175–67.[26]

Becerra successfully ran for a second term as Vice-Chair in 2011 to serve during the 112th Congress.[27]

During the 111th Congress and 112th Congress, Becerra served on several high-profile committees. He was appointed to serve on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (often called Bowles-Simpson/Simpson-Bowles) on March 24, 2010.[28] Becerra was selected to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the Super Committee) on August 11, 2011.[29] And on December 23, 2011, he was appointed to serve on a bi-cameral conference committee to find bi-partisan solutions on middle-class tax cuts, unemployment insurance, and the Medicare physician payment rate.[30]

Becerra had a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and was the first Latino to serve on the committee.[18]

Abortion rights and pay equity edit

A writer for Vanity Fair described Becerra as a "strident supporter of women's health and reproductive rights";[31] The New York Times stated that he has been "vocal in the Democratic Party about fighting for women's health".[32] He voted against H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act (PRENDA), which would have imposed civil and criminal penalties on anyone knowingly attempting to perform a sex-selective abortion. The 2012 bill also would have required health care providers to report known or suspected violations to law enforcement, including suspicions about a woman's motives for seeking an abortion.[33] Becerra received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2012.[34][35] Becerra voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.[36][37]

Becerra argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic religious order, should be required to provide birth control services under the Affordable Care Act.[38] In late 2020, arguing that the prosecution would discourage pregnant women from obtaining addiction treatment, Becerra requested that the Supreme Court of California block the murder prosecution of a woman who had consumed methamphetamine during her pregnancy, resulting in a stillbirth. The court declined to do so.[39] In response to the Trump administration's 2020 decision to restrict federal funding to California because it requires insurance providers to cover abortion, Becerra stated that "California has the sovereign right to protect women's reproductive rights".[40]

Committee assignments edit

Caucus memberships edit

Other political ambitions edit

2001 Los Angeles mayoral election edit

Becerra ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He finished with 6% of the primary vote,[41] finishing behind businessman Steve Soboroff, Councilman Joel Wachs, former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, and the eventual winner, then-City Attorney James Hahn.[citation needed]

Consideration for federal government positions edit

In 2008, Becerra was considered for the position of U.S. Trade Representative in the administration of President-elect Obama.[42] While it was reported that he had already accepted,[43] he announced on December 15 that he would not accept the position.[44] Becerra had endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama for president on January 27, 2008.[citation needed]

Becerra was on the shortlist of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for the vice presidential nomination in 2016.[45][46] Senator Tim Kaine was eventually chosen.

During the presidential transition of Joe Biden in 2020, it was reported that Becerra was being considered for the Cabinet positions of Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General.[47]

2020 U.S. Senate speculation edit

In August 2020, California Senator Kamala Harris was selected by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. After Biden ultimately won the general election, Becerra was floated as a possible replacement for Harris, along with others such as Representative Karen Bass, Representative Barbara Lee, Secretary of State Alex Padilla (who was eventually chosen), and former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís.[48][49][50] Early December reports that Biden planned to nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services rendered such speculation moot.

California Attorney General (2017–2021) edit

 
Becerra speaking to the California Democratic Party State Convention in 2019

Becerra accepted Governor Jerry Brown's offer to be the attorney general of California on December 1, 2016. The California Legislature confirmed Becerra to the post on January 23, 2017. He succeeded Kamala Harris, who was elected to the United States Senate.[51] Becerra was sworn in January 24, 2017, becoming the first Latino to serve as California's attorney general.[52] Becerra was elected to a full four-year term in 2018, after defeating Republican challenger Steven Bailey and securing 61 percent of the vote.[53]

While Attorney General, Becerra was challenged the policymaking by President Trump that would disproportionately impact California, home to one in ten Americans. [54] He delivered the Democratic Spanish-language response to President Trump's 2019 State of the Union address.[55]

During his tenure as California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra filed 122 lawsuits against the Trump administration, focusing on environmental and healthcare issues [56]. Notably, he successfully defended significant national policies such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before the United States Supreme Court.[57][58][59][60]

California Department of Justice reforms edit

Bureau of Environmental Justice edit

In 2018, Becerra created an environmental justice bureau at the California Department of Justice. Among other legal actions, it opposed the effort to expand San Bernardino International Airport due to concerns regarding air pollution, intervened to halt a proposed waterfront cement plant in Vallejo, citing significant concerns over increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and supported the City of Arvin's oil and gas ordinance, endorsing a 300-foot buffer for homes, schools, and hospitals, and confirming that such local ordinances are not preempted by state law.[61][62][63][64][65] The bureau also intervened in a lawsuit against the city of Fresno in 2018, leading to the city rescinding its approval of a large industrial warehouse project due to inadequate environmental review. By focusing on disparities such as the prevalence of polluting facilities near low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, the bureau's work has significantly addressed environmental justice concerns.[66][67]

Protection of Natural Resources edit

Shasta Dam Injunction and Environmental Impact edit

On July 31, 2019, Becerra achieved a significant legal victory when a Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction to stop Westlands Water District's involvement in a project to raise the Shasta Dam. Becerra's lawsuit argued that the project contravened the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, threatening the McCloud River's ecology. Federal studies revealed that raising the dam would expand the inundation of the river by 39%, adversely affecting its fisheries, habitats, and submerging sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.[68][69][70]

Legal Action Against Tijuana River Pollution edit

In September 2018, Becerra filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. This action was in response to over 12 million gallons of untreated wastewater from the Tijuana River Watershed flowing into California, violating the Clean Water Act. The untreated wastewater, containing hazardous levels of pesticides, heavy metals, and bacteria, posed a significant threat to human health and the environment.[71]

Protection of Redwood City Salt Ponds edit

In October 2020, Becerra achieved a significant legal victory in protecting the Redwood City Salt Ponds, vital to the San Francisco Bay's ecosystem. The U.S. District Court's ruling against the EPA's exclusion of the Salt Ponds from the Clean Water Act safeguards these areas from urban development. Additionally, efforts to restore the Salt Ponds as salt marshes and wetlands have been instrumental in enhancing the Bay’s ecological health and bolstering climate change resilience, particularly against sea level rise.[72][73]

Protection of Endangered Species in Sacramento and San Joaquin River edit

In February 2020, Becerra, exercising his independent authority as defined in the California Constitution (art. V, § 13) and Government Code (§§ 12660–12612), filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on behalf of the People of the State of California. The legal challenge focused on the federal government's inadequacy in protecting endangered species in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. It specifically scrutinized the biological opinions provided under the Endangered Species Act in relation to federal water export operations, emphasizing their insufficient protection of vulnerable species and habitats in the Bay-Delta area. On May 11, 2020, Becerra secured a preliminary injunction in this lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully expanding water export operations in the Central Valley.[74][75][76]

Criminal law enforcement edit

Arrest of La Luz Del Mundo Leader in Major Sex Trafficking Case edit

On June 4, 2019, Becerra announced the arrest of Naasón Joaquín García, the leader of the international religious organization La Luz Del Mundo, along with several co-defendants. The defendants were charged with serious offenses including human trafficking, production of child pornography, and forcible rape of a minor. The alleged crimes occurred between 2015 and 2018 and involved coercing victims into sexual acts under the guise of religious authority. The criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accused García and his associates, Alondra Ocampo, Azalea Rangel Melendez (who remains at large), and Susana Medina Oaxaca, of committing 26 felonies in Southern California. With this arrest, Becerra emphasized the commitment of the California Department of Justice to combat human trafficking and protect the rights of survivors. The arrests were part of a collaborative effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies and were initiated by a tip received through the clergy abuse online complaint form of the California Department of Justice. On June 8, 2022, Naasón Joaquín García was sentenced to more than 16 years in a California prison.[77][78]

Operation Blocc Buster: Takedown of Casa Blanca Gangster Crips edit

On January 17, 2020, Becerra and Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez announced the successful execution of "Operation Blocc Buster," targeting the Casa Blanca Gangster Crips street gang in Riverside. This operation led to the arrest of 15 individuals and the seizure of 14 firearms, including assault weapons, along with methamphetamine and cocaine. The Casa Blanca Gangster Crips, known for violent crimes such as murder, assault, and narcotics trafficking, have been a significant concern in the south Riverside community.

This operation is part of a broader initiative under Becerra's leadership, where the California Department of Justice actively collaborates with local and federal agencies to dismantle various criminal street gangs across California, enhancing public safety and addressing gang-related violence and crime. This comprehensive anti-gang initiative has led to hundreds of arrests, significantly disrupting various criminal street gangs. Key operations under this initiative include a May 2017 crackdown on the Sureño gang and its connections to the Mexican Mafia in Merced County, and a June 2017 operation against the Sureño gang in San Bernardino County. In November 2017, efforts focused on members of the Mexican mafia and drug cartels across Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties. December 2017 saw the takedown of gangs including the MOB, Flyboys, East Coast Crips, and others in Stockton.

Further operations throughout 2018 and 2019 maintained this momentum. In August 2018, an operation targeted the MS-13 gang in the Central Valley and beyond. October 2018 featured a major operation dismantling Riverside County's largest criminal street gang. The following year, multiple operations were directed against Norteño street gangs in Kings, Tulare, and Stanislaus Counties, as well as in Stockton. In December 2019, the Country Boy Crips in south Bakersfield were the focus of a significant operation. These targeted actions reflect the Becerra's ongoing dedication to curbing gang-related violence and crime, ensuring safer communities across California.[79]

Statewide Organized Crime Ring Charged with Sex Trafficking in California edit

On September 13, 2019, Becerra of California announced the filing of charges against Jing Chiang Huang, Shu Mei Lin, Shao Lee, Peihsin Lee, Pengcheng Cai, and Dafeng Wen for their alleged involvement in a statewide organized crime ring engaged in sex trafficking, tax fraud, and money laundering. This legal action, the product of a collaborative effort between the California Department of Justice, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and several other law enforcement partners, asserts that from 2015 to 2019, the defendants committed 13 felonies related to sex trafficking. The criminal complaint suggests that the accused used Backpage.com for their operations and forcibly coerced individuals into prostitution at various brothel locations, employing tactics like withholding passports and threatening job opportunities to maintain control over their victims. The announcement of these charges underlines Attorney Becerra's ongoing commitment to eradicating sex trafficking and protecting the rights of survivors in California.[80] Five suspects were sentenced in March 2022.[81]

Additional Criminal law enforcement edit

Becerra brought fourteen felony charges against Center for Medical Progress activists for recording fourteen videos (see Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy), and one felony charge for conspiring to invade privacy, on March 28, 2017.[82] The charges were dismissed by a California Superior Court judge in June for not stating the names of those recorded and the specific dates of the recordings;[83] the charges were refiled with the names and dates in July 2017.[84]

In 2019, Becerra threatened "legal action" against reporters who had received records of California law enforcement officers who had been convicted of crimes during the past decade.[85]

In December 2020, Becerra was faulted by state district attorneys for not taking leadership to help stop unemployment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, in what was described as the "biggest taxpayer fraud in California history".[86] In January 2021, investigators said the total fraud was over $11 billion, with $19 billion in claims still under investigation.[87][88][89] Most of this money will likely never be recovered, prosecutors said.[86][90][91]

Lawsuits against Trump administration edit

Defense of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) edit

In addition to his numerous legal challenges against the Trump administration, a significant aspect of Xavier Becerra's tenure as California Attorney General was his defense of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy before the United States Supreme Court. This defense was crucial for the approximately 650,000 Dreamers across the United States, with more than a quarter of them residing in California. In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a ruling that upheld the DACA policy, marking a significant victory for these Dreamers. The California Department of Justice, under Becerra's leadership, played a pivotal role in this outcome. In November 2019, Becerra led a coalition of 21 attorneys general to defend DACA against the Trump Administration's attempt to terminate it. The Court found that the administration's actions to end DACA were unlawful.[58][92]

Defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) edit

As the Attorney General of California, Becerra led the multistate lawsuit to defend, and ultimately save, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) [93], culminating in the significant Supreme Court ruling in California v. Texas on June 17, 2021. In this capacity, he led the legal challenge against efforts to dismantle the ACA, emphasizing the Act's critical importance in providing healthcare to millions of Americans, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Becerra's staunch defense of the ACA at the Supreme Court highlighted his commitment to ensuring accessible healthcare for all. His efforts were pivotal in upholding the ACA, a decision that affirmed the continuation of essential health protections and services across the United States.[59][94]

Additional Federal Litigation edit

In February 2019, Becerra, Governor Gavin Newsom, and 15 other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the president's declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall at the southern U.S. border.[95] As of September 26, 2019, Becerra had sued the Trump administration 62 times in total.[96]

The Trump administration opened 1 million acres in California to fracking and drilling in December 2019.[97] Under the new policy, the Bureau of Land Management proposed new lease sales for oil and gas extraction along "California's Central Valley and Central Coast, touching eight counties and including 400,000 acres of public land".[98] California officials and agencies, including Becerra, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management in January 2020.[99][98]

Despite the multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration filed with other state attorneys general, Becerra had not joined antitrust efforts against any major tech companies. His office would not disclose whether it had examined any tech companies and had not endorsed any joint investigations with other states.[100] On December 9, 2020, it was reported that Becerra's office had joined 47 other states and the Federal Trade Commission in an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, Inc, headquartered in California.[101][102]

Ballot drafting edit

As Attorney General of California, Becerra was tasked with writing ballot titles and summaries that appeared on voter information guides and ballots in both the 2018 and 2020 elections. Proponents accused Becerra multiple times of writing biased descriptions that violated the law, which requires "a true and impartial statement of the purpose" of measures. In one of many unsuccessful lawsuits against Becerra, a state judge wrote that attorneys general have "wide latitude" in how they write ballot descriptions. Critics said the responsibility to write the ballot title and summary should be transferred to a different, non-partisan office.[103][104]

Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–present) edit

Confirmation edit

After Joe Biden's election as president in November 2020, Becerra was considered a candidate for United States Attorney General.[105][47] The New York Times reported in early December 2020 that Biden would nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services.[106] His nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department has been criticized by pro-life and conservative leaders led by Students for Life of America, citing his "absence of health care experience and his disregard for people of faith".[107][108] Becerra's nomination was deadlocked by the Senate's Finance Committee on March 10, 2021.[109] One day later, on March 11, 2021, Becerra's nomination was discharged from the Finance Committee by the entire Senate, in a vote of 51-48.[110] He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 50-49 on March 18, 2021, with all but one Democrat present and one Republican, Susan Collins, voting in favor.[111][112] This was the narrowest vote for any of Biden's cabinet positions. On March 22, 2021, Becerra was sworn in to be the new secretary.[113]

Tenure edit

 
Secretary Becerra with First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, June 4, 2021

Soon after officially becoming the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra released a statement praising the Affordable Care Act and encouraging people to keep enrolling in its health care program.[114] Becerra also became Secretary during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which his cabinet department the U.S. Health and Human Services was mainly responsible for mitigating the pandemic's effects to the American public.

Becerra is credited for his critical efforts to preserve reproductive rights [115] across the country [116], to expand Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage for more than half the states in the nation [117] and slashing disparities in access to public health tools -- particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic [118]. He has consistently cited curbing health care costs, advancing women's health, and tackling gaps in who has access to health care as big priorities -- along with protecting public health [119].

Becerra has overseen one of the biggest reform efforts of sub-agencies in HHS's history, including at the Food and Drug Administration [120] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [121].

Becerra has been criticized as health and human services secretary for being absent in the public eye during the pandemic, for confusing messaging by federal public health authorities and for the subsequent loss of public trust, and for his collaborative management style while serving as secretary; his defenders said he was given an unclear role as secretary.[122] Becerra was similarly criticized following his agency's response to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak amid issues with health policy communication and what was widely considered a slow response; White House officials said that Becerra sought to scapegoat the states rather than take responsibility for the subpar response.[123]

On October 6, 2022, Becerra was tasked by President Biden with expeditiously reviewing the Schedule I classification of Cannabis.[124]

In 2023, The New York Times published investigations regarding immigrant child laborers who are working in violation of child labor laws across the U.S. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the welfare of these children, but according to the Times' reports, "Again and again, veteran government staffers and outside contractors told the Health and Human Services Department, including in reports that reached Secretary Xavier Becerra, that children appeared to be at risk".[125]

Personal life edit

Becerra is married to physician Carolina Reyes, and they have three daughters.[126] He is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, based in Washington, D.C.[127] Becerra is Roman Catholic.[128]

Election history edit

California State Assembly edit

1990 California State Assembly 59th district election[129][130][131]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra 9,098 34.80
Democratic Marta Maestas 7,352 28.12
Democratic Diane Martinez 6,703 25.64
Democratic Larry Salazar 1,509 5.77
Democratic Bill Hernandez 1,482 5.67
Total votes 26,144 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra 34,650 60.87
Republican Lee Lieberg 19,938 35.03
Libertarian Steven Pencall 2,331 4.10
Total votes 56,919 100%
Democratic hold

U.S. House of Representatives edit

1992 United States House of Representatives in California, District 30[132][133]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra 10,417 31.84
Democratic Leticia Quezada 7,089 21.67
Democratic Albert C. Lum 5,128 15.68
Democratic Jeff J. Penichet 4,136 12.64
Democratic Gonzalo Molina 2,320 7.09
Democratic Helen Hernandez 1,908 5.83
Democratic Roland R. Mora 611 1.87
Democratic Esca W. Smith 444 1.36
Democratic Mark Calney 336 1.03
Democratic Ysidro "Sid" Molina 325 0.99
Total votes 32,714 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra 48,800 58.41
Republican Morry Waksberg 20,034 23.98
Green Blase Bonpane 6,315 7.56
Peace and Freedom Elizabeth A. Nakano 6,173 7.39
Libertarian Andrew "Drew" Consalvo 2,221 2.66
Total votes 83,543 100%
Democratic hold
1994 United States House of Representatives in California, District 30[134][135]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 18,790 81.51
Democratic Leticia Quezada 4,263 18.49
Total votes 23,053 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 43,943 66.15
Republican David A. Ramirez 18,741 28.21
Libertarian R. William Weilberg 3,741 5.63
Total votes 66,425 100%
Democratic hold
1996 United States House of Representatives in California, District 30[136][137]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 21,310 100
Total votes 21,310 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 58,283 72.32
Republican Patricia Parker 15,078 18.71
Libertarian Pam Probst 2,759 3.42
Peace and Freedom Shirley Mandel 2,499 3.10
Natural Law Rosemary Watson-Frith 1,971 2.45
Total votes 80,590 100%
Democratic hold
1998 United States House of Representatives in California, District 30[138][139]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 38,925 100
Total votes 38,925 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 58,230 81.25
Republican Patricia Parker 13,441 18.75
Total votes 71,671 100%
Democratic hold
2000 United States House of Representatives in California, District 30[140][141]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 53,145 100
Total votes 53,145 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 83,223 83.29
Republican Tony Goss 11,788 11.80
Libertarian Jason E. Heath 2,858 2.86
Natural Law Gary D. Hearne 2,051 2.05
Total votes 99,920 100%
Democratic hold
2002 United States House of Representatives in California, District 31[142][143]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 24,231 100
Total votes 24,231 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 54,569 81.15
Republican Luis Vega 12,674 18.85
Total votes 67,243 100%
Democratic hold
2004 United States House of Representatives in California, District 31[144][145]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 26,308 89.45
Democratic Mervin Leon Evans 3,103 10.55
Total votes 29,411 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 89,363 80.21
Republican Luis Vega 22,048 19.79
Total votes 111,411 100%
Democratic hold
2006 United States House of Representatives in California, District 31[146][147]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 26,904 89.29
Democratic Mervin Leon Evans 3,227 10.71
Total votes 30,131 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 64,952 100
Total votes 64,952 100%
Democratic hold
2008 United States House of Representatives in California, District 31[148][149]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 18,127 100
Total votes 18,127 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 110,955 100
Total votes 110,955 100%
Democratic hold
2010 United States House of Representatives in California, District 31[150][151]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 20,550 88.03
Democratic Sal Genovese 2,795 11.97
Total votes 23,345 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 76,363 83.82
Republican Stephen Carlton Smith 14,740 16.08
Democratic Sal Genovese (write-in) 3 0.00
Total votes 91,106 100%
Democratic hold
2012 United States House of Representatives in California, District 34[152][153]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 27,939 77.43
Democratic Stephen C. Smith 5,793 16.01
Peace and Freedom Howard Johnson 2,407 6.67%
Total votes 36,085 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 120,367 85.62
Democratic Stephen Carlton Smith 20,223 14.38
Total votes 140,590 100%
Democratic hold
2014 United States House of Representatives in California, District 34[154][155]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 22,878 73.83
Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 4,473 14.44
Peace and Freedom Howard Johnson 3,587 11.58
No party preference Jonathan Turner Smith (write-in) 48 0.15
Total votes 30,986 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 44,697 72.54
Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 16,924 27.46
Total votes 61,621 100%
Democratic hold
2016 United States House of Representatives in California, District 34[156][157]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 71,982 77.58
Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 19,624 21.15
Democratic Kenneth Mejia (write-in) 1,177 1.26
Total votes 92,783 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 122,842 77.18
Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 36,314 22.82
Total votes 159,156 100%
Democratic hold

California Attorney General edit

2018 California Attorney General election[158][159]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 3,024,611 45.82
Republican Steven C. Bailey 1,615,859 24.48
Democratic Dave Jones 1,017,427 15.41
Republican Eric Early 943,017 14.29
Total votes 6,600,914 100%
General election
Democratic Xavier Becerra (incumbent) 7,790,743 63.57
Republican Steven C. Bailey 4,465,587 36.43
Total votes 12,256,330 100%
Democratic hold

See also edit

References edit

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External links edit

  • Campaign website
California Assembly
Preceded by Member of the California Assembly
from the 59th district

1990–1992
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 30th congressional district

1993–2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
1997–1999
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 31st congressional district

2003–2013
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 34th congressional district

2013–2017
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by House Democratic Assistant to the Leader
2007–2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice Chair of the House Democratic Conference
2009–2013
Succeeded by
Chair of the House Democratic Conference
2013–2017
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of California
2017–2021
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
2021–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Acting Secretary of Labor Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Health and Human Services
Succeeded byas Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded byas Acting Secretary of Labor 12th in line
as Secretary of Health and Human Services
Succeeded byas Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

xavier, becerra, ɑː, ɛər, sehr, latin, american, spanish, xaˈβjeɾ, βeˈsera, born, january, 1958, american, lawyer, politician, serving, 25th, united, states, secretary, health, human, services, since, march, 2021, first, latino, hold, this, position, history, . Xavier Becerra h ɑː v i ˈ ɛer b ɪ ˈ s ɛr e hah vee AIR beh SEHR e Latin American Spanish xaˈbjeɾ beˈsera born January 26 1958 is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services since March 2021 He is the first Latino to hold this position in history 1 Becerra previously served as the Attorney General of California from January 2017 until March 2021 He was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Downtown Los Angeles in Congress from 1993 to 2017 A member of the Democratic Party Becerra was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017 2 Xavier BecerraOff icial portrait 202125th United States Secretary of Health and Human ServicesIncumbentAssumed office March 19 2021PresidentJoe BidenDeputyAndrea PalmPreceded byAlex Azar33rd Attorney General of CaliforniaIn office January 24 2017 March 18 2021GovernorJerry BrownGavin NewsomPreceded byKamala HarrisSucceeded byRob BontaMember of the U S House of Representativesfrom CaliforniaIn office January 3 1993 January 24 2017Preceded byEdward Roybal Redistricting Succeeded byJimmy GomezConstituency30th district 1993 2003 31st district 2003 2013 34th district 2013 2017 Chair of the House Democratic CaucusIn office January 3 2013 January 3 2017DeputyJoe CrowleyLeaderNancy PelosiPreceded byJohn LarsonSucceeded byJoe CrowleyVice Chair of the House Democratic CaucusIn office January 3 2009 January 3 2013LeaderNancy PelosiPreceded byJohn LarsonSucceeded byJoe CrowleyHouse Democratic Assistant to the LeaderIn office January 3 2007 January 3 2009LeaderNancy PelosiPreceded byJohn SprattSucceeded byChris Van HollenMember of the California State Assembly from the 59th districtIn office December 3 1990 December 3 1992Preceded byCharles CalderonSucceeded byDick MountjoyPersonal detailsBorn 1958 01 26 January 26 1958 age 66 Sacramento California U S Political partyDemocraticSpouseCarolina Reyes BecerraChildren3ResidencesLos Angeles California U S Washington D C U S EducationStanford University BA JD OccupationLawyer politicianXavier Becerra s voice source source Xavier Becerra s opening statement before the U S Senate on the 2024 HHS budgetRecorded March 22 2023Born in Sacramento California Becerra graduated from Stanford University and received his Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School He worked as a lawyer at the Legal Assistance Corporation of central Massachusetts before returning to California in 1986 to work as an administrative assistant for state senator Art Torres He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 1987 to 1990 before he was elected to the California State Assembly where he served one term from 1990 to 1992 Becerra was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 He represented California s 30th congressional district from 1993 to 2003 California s 31st congressional district from 2003 to 2013 and California s 34th congressional district from 2013 to 2017 He served as Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999 Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2009 to 2013 and as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction He was elected Chairman of the U S House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Early career 3 U S House of Representatives 1993 2017 3 1 Elections 3 2 Tenure 3 2 1 Abortion rights and pay equity 3 3 Committee assignments 3 4 Caucus memberships 4 Other political ambitions 4 1 2001 Los Angeles mayoral election 4 2 Consideration for federal government positions 4 3 2020 U S Senate speculation 5 California Attorney General 2017 2021 5 1 California Department of Justice reforms 5 1 1 Bureau of Environmental Justice 5 2 Protection of Natural Resources 5 2 1 Shasta Dam Injunction and Environmental Impact 5 2 2 Legal Action Against Tijuana River Pollution 5 2 3 Protection of Redwood City Salt Ponds 5 2 4 Protection of Endangered Species in Sacramento and San Joaquin River 5 3 Criminal law enforcement 5 3 1 Arrest of La Luz Del Mundo Leader in Major Sex Trafficking Case 5 3 2 Operation Blocc Buster Takedown of Casa Blanca Gangster Crips 5 3 3 Statewide Organized Crime Ring Charged with Sex Trafficking in California 5 3 4 Additional Criminal law enforcement 5 4 Lawsuits against Trump administration 5 4 1 Defense of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA 5 4 2 Defense of the Affordable Care Act ACA 5 4 3 Additional Federal Litigation 5 5 Ballot drafting 6 Secretary of Health and Human Services 2021 present 6 1 Confirmation 6 2 Tenure 7 Personal life 8 Election history 8 1 California State Assembly 8 2 U S House of Representatives 8 3 California Attorney General 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksEarly life and education editBorn in Sacramento California on January 26 1958 3 4 Becerra is the son of working class parents Maria Teresa and Manuel Guerrero Becerra His father was born in the U S and raised in Tijuana Mexico and his mother was from Guadalajara 5 6 7 As a child Becerra grew up in a one room apartment with his three sisters 8 He graduated in 1976 from C K McClatchy High School located in the center of Sacramento 9 He studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca Spain from 1978 to 1979 before earning his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Stanford University in 1980 becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college 10 11 He received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985 12 Early career editBecerra began his career as a lawyer working on cases involving individuals who had mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts 13 now Community Legal Aid Becerra worked as an administrative assistant for California state senator Art Torres in 1986 14 He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 to 1990 15 After incumbent state assemblyman Charles Calderon decided to seek a seat in the California Senate Becerra launched a grass roots campaign for the California State Assembly defeating Calderon s Senate aide Marta Maestas in the Democratic primary 16 better source needed He went on to defeat Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall receiving 60 of the vote 17 Becerra served one term in the State Assembly representing California s 59th district from 1990 to 1992 7 As a state legislator Becerra worked to pass a law that would increase gang members sentences 18 U S House of Representatives 1993 2017 editElections edit In 1992 25th district congressman Edward Roybal announced his retirement after 30 years in Congress Becerra entered the race for the seat which had been renumbered as the 30th district after redistricting citation needed Becerra won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 32 of the vote 19 In the general election he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg 58 24 20 He won re election to a second term in 1994 with 66 21 of the vote His district was renumbered as the 31st district after the 2000 census citation needed After redistricting ahead of the 2012 elections most of Becerra s old district became the 34th district He defeated Republican Stephen Smith 85 6 to 14 4 22 Tenure edit nbsp Elijah Cummings Xavier Becerra and Robert Matsui at a press conference on civil rights in 1997 nbsp Tipper Gore Becerra and President Bill ClintonBecerra was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus of which he served as chairman during the 105th Congress 23 Becerra voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because he wanted to see direct protections for responsible homeowners in the bill 24 Becerra was appointed assistant to the Speaker of the House for the 110th Congress 25 He won his bid to succeed John Larson as Vice Chair in the 111th Congress defeating Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175 67 26 Becerra successfully ran for a second term as Vice Chair in 2011 to serve during the 112th Congress 27 During the 111th Congress and 112th Congress Becerra served on several high profile committees He was appointed to serve on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform often called Bowles Simpson Simpson Bowles on March 24 2010 28 Becerra was selected to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction also known as the Super Committee on August 11 2011 29 And on December 23 2011 he was appointed to serve on a bi cameral conference committee to find bi partisan solutions on middle class tax cuts unemployment insurance and the Medicare physician payment rate 30 Becerra had a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and was the first Latino to serve on the committee 18 Abortion rights and pay equity edit A writer for Vanity Fair described Becerra as a strident supporter of women s health and reproductive rights 31 The New York Times stated that he has been vocal in the Democratic Party about fighting for women s health 32 He voted against H R 3541 the Prenatal Non Discrimination Act PRENDA which would have imposed civil and criminal penalties on anyone knowingly attempting to perform a sex selective abortion The 2012 bill also would have required health care providers to report known or suspected violations to law enforcement including suspicions about a woman s motives for seeking an abortion 33 Becerra received a 100 rating from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro Choice America in 2012 34 35 Becerra voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 36 37 Becerra argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the Little Sisters of the Poor a Catholic religious order should be required to provide birth control services under the Affordable Care Act 38 In late 2020 arguing that the prosecution would discourage pregnant women from obtaining addiction treatment Becerra requested that the Supreme Court of California block the murder prosecution of a woman who had consumed methamphetamine during her pregnancy resulting in a stillbirth The court declined to do so 39 In response to the Trump administration s 2020 decision to restrict federal funding to California because it requires insurance providers to cover abortion Becerra stated that California has the sovereign right to protect women s reproductive rights 40 Committee assignments edit Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Social Security Joint Select Committee on Deficit ReductionCaucus memberships edit Congressional Hispanic Caucus Former Chair Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Congressional Progressive CaucusOther political ambitions edit2001 Los Angeles mayoral election edit Main article 2001 Los Angeles mayoral election Becerra ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 He finished with 6 of the primary vote 41 finishing behind businessman Steve Soboroff Councilman Joel Wachs former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and the eventual winner then City Attorney James Hahn citation needed Consideration for federal government positions edit In 2008 Becerra was considered for the position of U S Trade Representative in the administration of President elect Obama 42 While it was reported that he had already accepted 43 he announced on December 15 that he would not accept the position 44 Becerra had endorsed then Senator Barack Obama for president on January 27 2008 citation needed Becerra was on the shortlist of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for the vice presidential nomination in 2016 45 46 Senator Tim Kaine was eventually chosen During the presidential transition of Joe Biden in 2020 it was reported that Becerra was being considered for the Cabinet positions of Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General 47 2020 U S Senate speculation edit In August 2020 California Senator Kamala Harris was selected by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate After Biden ultimately won the general election Becerra was floated as a possible replacement for Harris along with others such as Representative Karen Bass Representative Barbara Lee Secretary of State Alex Padilla who was eventually chosen and former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis 48 49 50 Early December reports that Biden planned to nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services rendered such speculation moot California Attorney General 2017 2021 edit nbsp Becerra speaking to the California Democratic Party State Convention in 2019Becerra accepted Governor Jerry Brown s offer to be the attorney general of California on December 1 2016 The California Legislature confirmed Becerra to the post on January 23 2017 He succeeded Kamala Harris who was elected to the United States Senate 51 Becerra was sworn in January 24 2017 becoming the first Latino to serve as California s attorney general 52 Becerra was elected to a full four year term in 2018 after defeating Republican challenger Steven Bailey and securing 61 percent of the vote 53 While Attorney General Becerra was challenged the policymaking by President Trump that would disproportionately impact California home to one in ten Americans 54 He delivered the Democratic Spanish language response to President Trump s 2019 State of the Union address 55 During his tenure as California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed 122 lawsuits against the Trump administration focusing on environmental and healthcare issues 56 Notably he successfully defended significant national policies such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA and the Affordable Care Act ACA before the United States Supreme Court 57 58 59 60 California Department of Justice reforms edit Bureau of Environmental Justice edit In 2018 Becerra created an environmental justice bureau at the California Department of Justice Among other legal actions it opposed the effort to expand San Bernardino International Airport due to concerns regarding air pollution intervened to halt a proposed waterfront cement plant in Vallejo citing significant concerns over increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and supported the City of Arvin s oil and gas ordinance endorsing a 300 foot buffer for homes schools and hospitals and confirming that such local ordinances are not preempted by state law 61 62 63 64 65 The bureau also intervened in a lawsuit against the city of Fresno in 2018 leading to the city rescinding its approval of a large industrial warehouse project due to inadequate environmental review By focusing on disparities such as the prevalence of polluting facilities near low income neighborhoods and communities of color the bureau s work has significantly addressed environmental justice concerns 66 67 Protection of Natural Resources edit Shasta Dam Injunction and Environmental Impact edit On July 31 2019 Becerra achieved a significant legal victory when a Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction to stop Westlands Water District s involvement in a project to raise the Shasta Dam Becerra s lawsuit argued that the project contravened the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act threatening the McCloud River s ecology Federal studies revealed that raising the dam would expand the inundation of the river by 39 adversely affecting its fisheries habitats and submerging sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe 68 69 70 Legal Action Against Tijuana River Pollution edit In September 2018 Becerra filed a lawsuit against the U S Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission This action was in response to over 12 million gallons of untreated wastewater from the Tijuana River Watershed flowing into California violating the Clean Water Act The untreated wastewater containing hazardous levels of pesticides heavy metals and bacteria posed a significant threat to human health and the environment 71 Protection of Redwood City Salt Ponds edit In October 2020 Becerra achieved a significant legal victory in protecting the Redwood City Salt Ponds vital to the San Francisco Bay s ecosystem The U S District Court s ruling against the EPA s exclusion of the Salt Ponds from the Clean Water Act safeguards these areas from urban development Additionally efforts to restore the Salt Ponds as salt marshes and wetlands have been instrumental in enhancing the Bay s ecological health and bolstering climate change resilience particularly against sea level rise 72 73 Protection of Endangered Species in Sacramento and San Joaquin River edit In February 2020 Becerra exercising his independent authority as defined in the California Constitution art V 13 and Government Code 12660 12612 filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on behalf of the People of the State of California The legal challenge focused on the federal government s inadequacy in protecting endangered species in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers It specifically scrutinized the biological opinions provided under the Endangered Species Act in relation to federal water export operations emphasizing their insufficient protection of vulnerable species and habitats in the Bay Delta area On May 11 2020 Becerra secured a preliminary injunction in this lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully expanding water export operations in the Central Valley 74 75 76 Criminal law enforcement edit Arrest of La Luz Del Mundo Leader in Major Sex Trafficking Case edit On June 4 2019 Becerra announced the arrest of Naason Joaquin Garcia the leader of the international religious organization La Luz Del Mundo along with several co defendants The defendants were charged with serious offenses including human trafficking production of child pornography and forcible rape of a minor The alleged crimes occurred between 2015 and 2018 and involved coercing victims into sexual acts under the guise of religious authority The criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accused Garcia and his associates Alondra Ocampo Azalea Rangel Melendez who remains at large and Susana Medina Oaxaca of committing 26 felonies in Southern California With this arrest Becerra emphasized the commitment of the California Department of Justice to combat human trafficking and protect the rights of survivors The arrests were part of a collaborative effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies and were initiated by a tip received through the clergy abuse online complaint form of the California Department of Justice On June 8 2022 Naason Joaquin Garcia was sentenced to more than 16 years in a California prison 77 78 Operation Blocc Buster Takedown of Casa Blanca Gangster Crips edit On January 17 2020 Becerra and Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez announced the successful execution of Operation Blocc Buster targeting the Casa Blanca Gangster Crips street gang in Riverside This operation led to the arrest of 15 individuals and the seizure of 14 firearms including assault weapons along with methamphetamine and cocaine The Casa Blanca Gangster Crips known for violent crimes such as murder assault and narcotics trafficking have been a significant concern in the south Riverside community This operation is part of a broader initiative under Becerra s leadership where the California Department of Justice actively collaborates with local and federal agencies to dismantle various criminal street gangs across California enhancing public safety and addressing gang related violence and crime This comprehensive anti gang initiative has led to hundreds of arrests significantly disrupting various criminal street gangs Key operations under this initiative include a May 2017 crackdown on the Sureno gang and its connections to the Mexican Mafia in Merced County and a June 2017 operation against the Sureno gang in San Bernardino County In November 2017 efforts focused on members of the Mexican mafia and drug cartels across Los Angeles Riverside San Bernardino and Orange Counties December 2017 saw the takedown of gangs including the MOB Flyboys East Coast Crips and others in Stockton Further operations throughout 2018 and 2019 maintained this momentum In August 2018 an operation targeted the MS 13 gang in the Central Valley and beyond October 2018 featured a major operation dismantling Riverside County s largest criminal street gang The following year multiple operations were directed against Norteno street gangs in Kings Tulare and Stanislaus Counties as well as in Stockton In December 2019 the Country Boy Crips in south Bakersfield were the focus of a significant operation These targeted actions reflect the Becerra s ongoing dedication to curbing gang related violence and crime ensuring safer communities across California 79 Statewide Organized Crime Ring Charged with Sex Trafficking in California edit On September 13 2019 Becerra of California announced the filing of charges against Jing Chiang Huang Shu Mei Lin Shao Lee Peihsin Lee Pengcheng Cai and Dafeng Wen for their alleged involvement in a statewide organized crime ring engaged in sex trafficking tax fraud and money laundering This legal action the product of a collaborative effort between the California Department of Justice the Ventura County Sheriff s Office and several other law enforcement partners asserts that from 2015 to 2019 the defendants committed 13 felonies related to sex trafficking The criminal complaint suggests that the accused used Backpage com for their operations and forcibly coerced individuals into prostitution at various brothel locations employing tactics like withholding passports and threatening job opportunities to maintain control over their victims The announcement of these charges underlines Attorney Becerra s ongoing commitment to eradicating sex trafficking and protecting the rights of survivors in California 80 Five suspects were sentenced in March 2022 81 Additional Criminal law enforcement edit Becerra brought fourteen felony charges against Center for Medical Progress activists for recording fourteen videos see Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy and one felony charge for conspiring to invade privacy on March 28 2017 82 The charges were dismissed by a California Superior Court judge in June for not stating the names of those recorded and the specific dates of the recordings 83 the charges were refiled with the names and dates in July 2017 84 In 2019 Becerra threatened legal action against reporters who had received records of California law enforcement officers who had been convicted of crimes during the past decade 85 In December 2020 Becerra was faulted by state district attorneys for not taking leadership to help stop unemployment fraud during the COVID 19 pandemic in what was described as the biggest taxpayer fraud in California history 86 In January 2021 investigators said the total fraud was over 11 billion with 19 billion in claims still under investigation 87 88 89 Most of this money will likely never be recovered prosecutors said 86 90 91 Lawsuits against Trump administration edit Defense of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA edit In addition to his numerous legal challenges against the Trump administration a significant aspect of Xavier Becerra s tenure as California Attorney General was his defense of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA policy before the United States Supreme Court This defense was crucial for the approximately 650 000 Dreamers across the United States with more than a quarter of them residing in California In June 2020 the U S Supreme Court delivered a ruling that upheld the DACA policy marking a significant victory for these Dreamers The California Department of Justice under Becerra s leadership played a pivotal role in this outcome In November 2019 Becerra led a coalition of 21 attorneys general to defend DACA against the Trump Administration s attempt to terminate it The Court found that the administration s actions to end DACA were unlawful 58 92 Defense of the Affordable Care Act ACA edit As the Attorney General of California Becerra led the multistate lawsuit to defend and ultimately save the Affordable Care Act ACA 93 culminating in the significant Supreme Court ruling in California v Texas on June 17 2021 In this capacity he led the legal challenge against efforts to dismantle the ACA emphasizing the Act s critical importance in providing healthcare to millions of Americans especially those with pre existing conditions Becerra s staunch defense of the ACA at the Supreme Court highlighted his commitment to ensuring accessible healthcare for all His efforts were pivotal in upholding the ACA a decision that affirmed the continuation of essential health protections and services across the United States 59 94 Additional Federal Litigation edit In February 2019 Becerra Governor Gavin Newsom and 15 other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the president s declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall at the southern U S border 95 As of September 26 2019 Becerra had sued the Trump administration 62 times in total 96 The Trump administration opened 1 million acres in California to fracking and drilling in December 2019 97 Under the new policy the Bureau of Land Management proposed new lease sales for oil and gas extraction along California s Central Valley and Central Coast touching eight counties and including 400 000 acres of public land 98 California officials and agencies including Becerra filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management in January 2020 99 98 Despite the multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration filed with other state attorneys general Becerra had not joined antitrust efforts against any major tech companies His office would not disclose whether it had examined any tech companies and had not endorsed any joint investigations with other states 100 On December 9 2020 it was reported that Becerra s office had joined 47 other states and the Federal Trade Commission in an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook Inc headquartered in California 101 102 Ballot drafting edit As Attorney General of California Becerra was tasked with writing ballot titles and summaries that appeared on voter information guides and ballots in both the 2018 and 2020 elections Proponents accused Becerra multiple times of writing biased descriptions that violated the law which requires a true and impartial statement of the purpose of measures In one of many unsuccessful lawsuits against Becerra a state judge wrote that attorneys general have wide latitude in how they write ballot descriptions Critics said the responsibility to write the ballot title and summary should be transferred to a different non partisan office 103 104 Secretary of Health and Human Services 2021 present editConfirmation edit After Joe Biden s election as president in November 2020 Becerra was considered a candidate for United States Attorney General 105 47 The New York Times reported in early December 2020 that Biden would nominate Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services 106 His nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department has been criticized by pro life and conservative leaders led by Students for Life of America citing his absence of health care experience and his disregard for people of faith 107 108 Becerra s nomination was deadlocked by the Senate s Finance Committee on March 10 2021 109 One day later on March 11 2021 Becerra s nomination was discharged from the Finance Committee by the entire Senate in a vote of 51 48 110 He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 50 49 on March 18 2021 with all but one Democrat present and one Republican Susan Collins voting in favor 111 112 This was the narrowest vote for any of Biden s cabinet positions On March 22 2021 Becerra was sworn in to be the new secretary 113 Tenure edit nbsp Secretary Becerra with First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough June 4 2021Soon after officially becoming the Secretary of Health and Human Services Becerra released a statement praising the Affordable Care Act and encouraging people to keep enrolling in its health care program 114 Becerra also became Secretary during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic of which his cabinet department the U S Health and Human Services was mainly responsible for mitigating the pandemic s effects to the American public Becerra is credited for his critical efforts to preserve reproductive rights 115 across the country 116 to expand Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage for more than half the states in the nation 117 and slashing disparities in access to public health tools particularly amid the COVID 19 pandemic 118 He has consistently cited curbing health care costs advancing women s health and tackling gaps in who has access to health care as big priorities along with protecting public health 119 Becerra has overseen one of the biggest reform efforts of sub agencies in HHS s history including at the Food and Drug Administration 120 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 121 Becerra has been criticized as health and human services secretary for being absent in the public eye during the pandemic for confusing messaging by federal public health authorities and for the subsequent loss of public trust and for his collaborative management style while serving as secretary his defenders said he was given an unclear role as secretary 122 Becerra was similarly criticized following his agency s response to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak amid issues with health policy communication and what was widely considered a slow response White House officials said that Becerra sought to scapegoat the states rather than take responsibility for the subpar response 123 On October 6 2022 Becerra was tasked by President Biden with expeditiously reviewing the Schedule I classification of Cannabis 124 In 2023 The New York Times published investigations regarding immigrant child laborers who are working in violation of child labor laws across the U S The U S Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the welfare of these children but according to the Times reports Again and again veteran government staffers and outside contractors told the Health and Human Services Department including in reports that reached Secretary Xavier Becerra that children appeared to be at risk 125 Personal life editBecerra is married to physician Carolina Reyes and they have three daughters 126 He is a member of the Inter American Dialogue think tank based in Washington D C 127 Becerra is Roman Catholic 128 Election history editCalifornia State Assembly edit 1990 California State Assembly 59th district election 129 130 131 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra 9 098 34 80Democratic Marta Maestas 7 352 28 12Democratic Diane Martinez 6 703 25 64Democratic Larry Salazar 1 509 5 77Democratic Bill Hernandez 1 482 5 67Total votes 26 144 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra 34 650 60 87Republican Lee Lieberg 19 938 35 03Libertarian Steven Pencall 2 331 4 10Total votes 56 919 100 Democratic holdU S House of Representatives edit 1992 United States House of Representatives in California District 30 132 133 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra 10 417 31 84Democratic Leticia Quezada 7 089 21 67Democratic Albert C Lum 5 128 15 68Democratic Jeff J Penichet 4 136 12 64Democratic Gonzalo Molina 2 320 7 09Democratic Helen Hernandez 1 908 5 83Democratic Roland R Mora 611 1 87Democratic Esca W Smith 444 1 36Democratic Mark Calney 336 1 03Democratic Ysidro Sid Molina 325 0 99Total votes 32 714 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra 48 800 58 41Republican Morry Waksberg 20 034 23 98Green Blase Bonpane 6 315 7 56Peace and Freedom Elizabeth A Nakano 6 173 7 39Libertarian Andrew Drew Consalvo 2 221 2 66Total votes 83 543 100 Democratic hold1994 United States House of Representatives in California District 30 134 135 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 18 790 81 51Democratic Leticia Quezada 4 263 18 49Total votes 23 053 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 43 943 66 15Republican David A Ramirez 18 741 28 21Libertarian R William Weilberg 3 741 5 63Total votes 66 425 100 Democratic hold1996 United States House of Representatives in California District 30 136 137 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 21 310 100Total votes 21 310 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 58 283 72 32Republican Patricia Parker 15 078 18 71Libertarian Pam Probst 2 759 3 42Peace and Freedom Shirley Mandel 2 499 3 10Natural Law Rosemary Watson Frith 1 971 2 45Total votes 80 590 100 Democratic hold1998 United States House of Representatives in California District 30 138 139 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 38 925 100Total votes 38 925 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 58 230 81 25Republican Patricia Parker 13 441 18 75Total votes 71 671 100 Democratic hold2000 United States House of Representatives in California District 30 140 141 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 53 145 100Total votes 53 145 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 83 223 83 29Republican Tony Goss 11 788 11 80Libertarian Jason E Heath 2 858 2 86Natural Law Gary D Hearne 2 051 2 05Total votes 99 920 100 Democratic hold2002 United States House of Representatives in California District 31 142 143 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 24 231 100Total votes 24 231 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 54 569 81 15Republican Luis Vega 12 674 18 85Total votes 67 243 100 Democratic hold2004 United States House of Representatives in California District 31 144 145 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 26 308 89 45Democratic Mervin Leon Evans 3 103 10 55Total votes 29 411 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 89 363 80 21Republican Luis Vega 22 048 19 79Total votes 111 411 100 Democratic hold2006 United States House of Representatives in California District 31 146 147 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 26 904 89 29Democratic Mervin Leon Evans 3 227 10 71Total votes 30 131 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 64 952 100Total votes 64 952 100 Democratic hold2008 United States House of Representatives in California District 31 148 149 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 18 127 100Total votes 18 127 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 110 955 100Total votes 110 955 100 Democratic hold2010 United States House of Representatives in California District 31 150 151 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 20 550 88 03Democratic Sal Genovese 2 795 11 97Total votes 23 345 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 76 363 83 82Republican Stephen Carlton Smith 14 740 16 08Democratic Sal Genovese write in 3 0 00Total votes 91 106 100 Democratic hold2012 United States House of Representatives in California District 34 152 153 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 27 939 77 43Democratic Stephen C Smith 5 793 16 01Peace and Freedom Howard Johnson 2 407 6 67 Total votes 36 085 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 120 367 85 62Democratic Stephen Carlton Smith 20 223 14 38Total votes 140 590 100 Democratic hold2014 United States House of Representatives in California District 34 154 155 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 22 878 73 83Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 4 473 14 44Peace and Freedom Howard Johnson 3 587 11 58No party preference Jonathan Turner Smith write in 48 0 15Total votes 30 986 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 44 697 72 54Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 16 924 27 46Total votes 61 621 100 Democratic hold2016 United States House of Representatives in California District 34 156 157 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 71 982 77 58Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 19 624 21 15Democratic Kenneth Mejia write in 1 177 1 26Total votes 92 783 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 122 842 77 18Democratic Adrienne Nicole Edwards 36 314 22 82Total votes 159 156 100 Democratic holdCalifornia Attorney General edit 2018 California Attorney General election 158 159 Primary electionParty Candidate Votes Democratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 3 024 611 45 82Republican Steven C Bailey 1 615 859 24 48Democratic Dave Jones 1 017 427 15 41Republican Eric Early 943 017 14 29Total votes 6 600 914 100 General electionDemocratic Xavier Becerra incumbent 7 790 743 63 57Republican Steven C Bailey 4 465 587 36 43Total votes 12 256 330 100 Democratic holdSee also editList of first minority male lawyers and judges in California List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States CongressReferences edit https www nbcnews com news latino becerra points latino successes first year hhs secretary rcna20141 BECERRA Xavier US House of Representatives History Art amp Archives history house gov Retrieved January 22 2023 Becerra Xavier Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved January 13 2021 CNN com CNN Archived from the original on August 2 2018 Retrieved February 2 2013 Schmidt Samantha For Xavier Becerra California s attorney general the fight with Trump is personal The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on November 11 2020 Retrieved December 9 2020 BECERRA Xavier United States House of Representatives Archived from the original on November 24 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 a b BECERRA Xavier 1958 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Archived from the original on November 24 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Trump supporters shut down town hall with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Daily News March 24 2017 Retrieved December 12 2020 permanent dead link Congressional Directory 2011 2012 112th Congress Government Printing Office 2012 ISBN 9780160886539 Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved October 16 2020 Congressional Directory California Thirty First District PDF gpo gov Archived PDF from the original on October 18 2015 Retrieved February 2 2013 Landler Mark December 4 2008 The New Team Xavier Becerra The New York Times Archived from the original on September 7 2017 Retrieved February 26 2017 Attorney Search Xavier Becerra 118517 calbar ca gov Archived from the original on October 18 2015 Retrieved February 2 2013 Xavier Becerra Caucus Chairman Representing the 34th District of CA dems gov Archived from the original on September 29 2013 108th Congress Directory California Thirty First District PDF Government Publishing Office Archived PDF from the original on October 18 2015 Retrieved February 2 2013 Xavier Becerra D House California District 34 Up for re election in 2012 projects washingtonpost com Archived from the original on January 27 2013 Retrieved February 2 2013 Acuna Rodolfo June 8 1990 The Candidate Who Upset Latino Politics Xavier Becerra owes his victory to the people not to the blessings of a papacito Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on February 4 2012 Retrieved February 2 2013 Member of the State Assembly PDF sos ca gov Archived from the original PDF on October 21 2014 Retrieved February 2 2013 a b Hubler Shawn Stolberg Sheryl Gay December 8 2020 Xavier Becerra H H S Pick Was California s Anti Trump Attack Dog The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on December 8 2020 Retrieved December 9 2020 CA District 30 Democratic Primary Archived October 20 2012 at the Wayback Machine 1992 Our Campaigns CA District 30 General Election Archived September 24 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1992 Our Campaigns CA District 30 Archived September 24 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1994 Our Campaigns Cook Rhodes November 12 2019 America Votes 33 2017 2018 Election Returns by State CQ Press p 49 ISBN 978 1 5443 5446 0 Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Congressman Xavier Becerra To Deliver Hispanic Heritage Month Keynote loc gov August 29 2007 Archived from the original on March 5 2016 Retrieved December 30 2017 Becerra Xavier October 1 2008 On the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act The Becerra Blog US House of Representatives Archived from the original on December 11 2008 Retrieved December 6 2008 Allen Jonathan November 17 2009 Pelosi thrown under the bus Politico Archived from the original on November 24 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Allen Jared November 10 2008 Dems back off leadership challenges The Hill Archived from the original on November 13 2008 Retrieved November 10 2008 Larson Applauds Nomination of Xavier Becerra to Serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services Congressman John Larson December 7 2020 Archived from the original on December 14 2020 Retrieved December 8 2020 Bendery Jennifer March 24 2010 Pelosi Appoints Spratt Becerra and Schakowsky to Fiscal Panel Roll Call Archived from the original on September 27 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 James Frank August 11 2011 Pelosi Chooses Clyburn Van Hollen Becerra For Deficits Super Panel NPR Archived from the original on November 11 2018 Retrieved December 7 2020 Shiner Meredith Strong Jonathan November 23 2011 Congress Passes Payroll Tax Cut Deal Shuts Down for Holidays Roll Call Archived from the original on October 28 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Lutz Eric December 7 2020 Biden Reveals COVID Team We re Going to See a Lot of As Crisis Worsens Vanity Fair Retrieved January 13 2021 Stolberg Sheryl Gay Shear Michael D December 6 2020 Biden Picks Xavier Becerra to Lead Health and Human Services The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 13 2021 CAPAC Members Denounce Attack on Reproductive Rights Archived October 11 2012 at the Wayback Machine May 31 2012 Vote Smart 2013 CONGRESSIONAL SCORECARD plannedparenthoodaction org Archived from the original on January 12 2013 2012 Congressional Record on Choice PDF prochoiceamerica org Archived from the original PDF on January 27 2013 Retrieved February 2 2013 FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 37 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 clerk house gov January 27 2009 Archived from the original on July 7 2010 Retrieved February 2 2013 Representative Becerra on Equal Pay Day Archived May 2 2012 at the Wayback Machine April 18 2012 Vote Smart Hollyfield Amy October 20 2018 SF nuns say they are caught in the crossfire over a battle over birth control KGO TV Retrieved January 13 2021 High court allows murder charge after fetus is stillborn Associated Press December 24 2020 Retrieved January 13 2021 Koseff Alexei December 17 2020 Trump administration cuts off 200 million for California health care over abortions SFChronicle com Retrieved January 13 2021 Herszenhorn David M May 9 2016 As Xavier Becerra Stirs Crowds Hispanic Democrats See a Running Mate The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on November 25 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Landler Mark December 5 2008 In Trade Post Contender Political Benefits for Obama The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on June 24 2016 Retrieved December 7 2020 Allen Jonathan December 2 2008 Rep Becerra Offered Trade Representative Post CQ Politics Archived from the original on December 7 2008 O Connor Patrick Grim Ryan December 17 2008 Why Becerra rebuffed Obama politico com Retrieved December 17 2008 https www nytimes com 2016 05 10 us politics as xavier becerra stirs crowds hispanic democrats see a running mate html Matthews Dylan June 16 2016 Hillary Clinton is choosing her vice president soon Here are her top choices Vox a b Meet the contenders for Biden s Cabinet Politico November 7 2020 Archived from the original on November 15 2020 Retrieved November 17 2020 Ting Eric November 7 2020 What happens to Kamala Harris Senate seat now that she s vice president elect SFGATE Archived from the original on November 8 2020 Retrieved November 7 2020 One of these people could be Vice President elect Kamala Harris successor and California s next senator Los Angeles Times November 7 2020 Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved November 7 2020 Aschbrenner Annah Morin Rebecca Who will take Kamala Harris Senate seat in California The options are many USA Today Archived from the original on November 8 2020 Retrieved November 7 2020 Wire Sarah D Myers John December 1 2016 Gov Brown taps California s Rep Xavier Becerra to be state s first Latino attorney general Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on December 2 2016 Retrieved December 1 2016 Essential Politics Gov Brown delivers State of the State address Xavier Becerra is sworn in as California s new attorney general Los Angeles Times ISSN 0458 3035 Archived from the original on May 14 2019 Retrieved January 25 2017 Miller Cheryl November 7 2018 Xavier Becerra Wins Four Year Term as Attorney General The Recorder Archived from the original on April 14 2019 Retrieved December 7 2020 https www theatlantic com magazine archive 2017 05 golden state warrior 521457 Campbell Alexia Fernandez February 5 2019 California s attorney general gave a scathing Spanish language rebuttal to Trump s speech Vox Archived from the original on November 7 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 https www cbsnews com sacramento news trumps final day in office marked by nine lawsuits from california ag Trump s Final Day In Office Marked By Nine Lawsuits From California AG CBS Sacramento www cbsnews com January 19 2021 Retrieved December 23 2023 a b Attorney General Becerra Applauds Landmark Supreme Court Decision on DACA State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General June 18 2020 Retrieved December 23 2023 a b On Eve of Oral Arguments in the U S Supreme Court Attorney General Becerra Issues Statement in Defense of the Affordable Care Act State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General November 9 2020 Retrieved December 23 2023 Liptak Adam June 17 2021 Affordable Care Act Survives Latest Supreme Court Challenge The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved December 23 2023 Attorney General Becerra Establishes Bureau of Environmental Justice State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General February 22 2018 Retrieved December 22 2023 Schwartz John December 7 2020 Xavier Becerra Brings Environmental Justice to Forefront The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Weisbrod Katelyn December 26 2020 In 2018 the California AG Created an Environmental Justice Bureau It s Become a Trendsetter Inside Climate News Retrieved December 22 2023 Attorney General Becerra Applauds City of Arvin s New Oil and Gas Ordinance State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General July 17 2018 Retrieved December 23 2023 Comments on Arvin Oil and Gas Ordinance Office of the Attorney General State of California Accessed December 22 2023 https www oag ca gov system files attachments press docs comments arvin oil and gas ordinance pdf Cabrera Yvette February 21 2020 This tiny but mighty California bureau is taking on polluters Grist Retrieved December 23 2023 Settlement Order SCNU v Fresno Caglia Settlement Office of the Attorney General State of California Accessed December 22 2023 https oag ca gov sites default files 2019 03 04 20SCNU 20v 20Fresno 20 20Caglia 20Settlement 20Order pdf Attorney General Becerra Sues Westlands Water District to Block Unlawful Shasta Dam Project State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General May 14 2019 Retrieved December 23 2023 Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief Shasta Dam Office of the Attorney General State of California Accessed December 22 2023 https oag ca gov system files attachments press docs people v westlands complaint declaratory injunctive relief shasta dam pdf Attorney General Becerra Secures Ruling in Shasta County Halting Westlands Water District Involvement in Illegal Shasta Dam Project State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General July 31 2019 Retrieved December 23 2023 Smith Joshua Emerson Email September 6 2018 Becerra sues feds over Tijuana sewage spilling over border into California Los Angeles Times Retrieved December 23 2023 Attorney General Becerra Announces Critical Win in Protecting Redwood City Salt Ponds State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General October 5 2020 Retrieved December 23 2023 Court vacates EPA determination regarding Redwood City s salt ponds Bay City News October 5 2020 Retrieved December 23 2023 Attorney General Becerra Files Lawsuit Against Trump Administration for Failing to Protect Endangered Species in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General February 20 2020 Retrieved December 24 2023 Attorney General Becerra Secures Preliminary Injunction in Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Over Failure to Protect California s Ecosystems State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General May 11 2020 Retrieved December 24 2023 Beitsch Rebecca May 12 2020 Court sides with California blocking Trump s water diversion The Hill Retrieved December 24 2023 Attorney General Becerra Announces Arrest of Naason Joaquin Garcia Leader of Religious Organization La Luz Del Mundo in Major Sex Trafficking Case State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General June 4 2019 Retrieved January 14 2024 Mexican megachurch leader gets more than 16 years for abuse AP News June 8 2022 Retrieved January 14 2024 Attorney General Becerra Announces Takedown of Riverside Street Gang State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General January 17 2020 Retrieved January 14 2024 Attorney General Becerra Files Sex Trafficking Charges Against Organized Crime Ring Operating Statewide State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General September 13 2019 Retrieved January 14 2024 Childs Jeremy Five sentenced in statewide sex trafficking ring discovered by Thousand Oaks detectives Ventura County Star Retrieved January 14 2024 Perez Pena Richard March 30 2017 Anti Abortion Activists Charged in Planned Parenthood Video Case The New York Times p A22 Archived from the original on March 30 2017 Retrieved March 31 2017 Egelko Bob June 22 2017 SF judge deals setback to prosecutors in abortion sting videos San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on June 22 2017 Retrieved December 7 2020 Egelko Bob July 7 2017 California files more charges against antiabortion activists San Francisco Chronicle Archived from the original on September 11 2017 Retrieved September 11 2017 Lewis Robert February 26 2019 California Keeps a Secret List of Criminal Cops But Says You Can t Have It KQED Archived from the original on February 28 2019 Retrieved February 27 2019 a b Chabria Anita McGreevy Patrick Winton Richard December 3 2020 Some California prosecutors say tsunami of prison unemployment fraud fuels street crime Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved December 6 2020 Jan 25 Patrick McGreevyStaff Writer Pt 2021 3 37 Pm January 25 2021 California officials say unemployment fraud now totals more than 11 billion Los Angeles Times a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link California EDD Unemployment fraud in state 4 times worse than first reported abc7news com abc7news com California unemployment fraud during pandemic may total 2B Bank of America says KTLA December 7 2020 Retrieved December 16 2020 McGreevy Patrick Chabria Anita Winton Richard December 4 2020 California may have sent 1 billion in jobless benefits to people outside the state D A s warn Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved December 6 2020 Dec 7 Patrick McGreevyStaff Writer PT 2020 Updated 6 23 PM December 7 2020 California unemployment fraud amid COVID 19 pandemic may total 2 billion Bank of America says Los Angeles Times a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Department of Homeland Security v Regents of the University of California et al Supreme Court of the United States June 18 2020 Accessed December 23 2023 Online Available https www supremecourt gov opinions 19pdf 18 587 5ifl pdf https oag ca gov news press releases attorney general becerra leads coalition 20 states and district columbia Statement by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on U S Supreme Court Decision to Uphold the Affordable Care Act HIV gov June 17 2021 Accessed December 23 2023 Online Available https www hiv gov blog statement hhs secretary xavier becerra us supreme court decision uphold affordable care act Governor Newsom Attorney General Becerra and 15 Partner States File Lawsuit Challenging President Trump s Contrived Declaration of National Emergency at the Southern Border California Department of Justice February 18 2019 Archived from the original on April 6 2019 Retrieved April 6 2019 Eilperin Juliet Dennis Brady Dawsey Josh September 26 2019 EPA tells California it is failing to meet its obligations to protect the environment The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on September 26 2019 Retrieved September 26 2019 Seheeler Andrew December 12 2019 Trump administration opens 1 million acres in California to fracking drilling sacbee com The Sacramento Bee Archived from the original on December 16 2019 Retrieved January 23 2019 a b Canon Gabrielle January 17 2020 California sues over Trump plan to open land to fracking USA Today Archived from the original on January 25 2020 Retrieved January 23 2020 Willon Phil January 17 2020 California going to court to stop Trump fracking plans Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on January 22 2020 Retrieved January 23 2020 McCabe David September 26 2019 California Attorney General Is a No Show on Tech Investigations The Washington Post Archived from the original on January 6 2020 Retrieved October 31 2019 California Joins Lawsuit Against Facebook For Predatory Monopolistic Behavior KPIX TV December 9 2020 Archived from the original on December 9 2020 Retrieved December 14 2020 Feiner Lauren Rodriguez Salvador December 9 2020 FTC and states sue Facebook could force it to divest Instagram and WhatsApp CNBC Archived from the original on December 13 2020 Retrieved December 14 2020 Walters Dan July 27 2020 Becerra slants two ballot measure titles CalMatters Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Editorial California voters need unbiased ballot information Instead Becerra is playing favorites Los Angeles Times August 4 2020 Archived from the original on November 21 2020 Retrieved December 7 2020 Who Are Contenders for Biden s Cabinet The New York Times November 11 2020 Archived from the original on November 15 2020 Retrieved November 11 2020 Stolberg Sheryl Gay Shear Michael D December 6 2020 Biden Picks Xavier Becerra to Lead Health and Human Services The New York Times Archived from the original on December 6 2020 Retrieved December 6 2020 Richardson Valerie December 21 2020 Top pro life leaders urge Senate to reject Xavier Becerra over anti life anti religion bias The Washington Times Retrieved January 5 2021 Republicans see Becerra as next target in confirmation wars www msn com O Brien Jack SENATE PANEL DEADLOCKS ON HHS NOMINEE BECERRA SCHUMER MUST PUSH FOR FLOOR VOTE healthleaders Retrieved January 17 2022 On the Motion to Discharge Motion to Discharge the Nomination of Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of Health and Human Services from the Committee on Finance US Senate Retrieved January 17 2022 Sprunt Barbara March 18 2021 Senate Confirms Xavier Becerra To Head Health And Human Services NPR Retrieved March 18 2021 On the Nomination Confirmation Xavier Becerra of California to be Secretary of Health and Human Services US Senate Retrieved January 17 2022 Xavier Becerra Sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services March 22 2021 Statement by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on the Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act HHS gov March 22 2021 Retrieved March 24 2021 https www nytimes com 2022 06 28 us politics biden abortion roe html https abcnews go com US year post roe wade overturn disparity US Xavier Becerratale story id 100339191 https www hhs gov about news 2022 10 27 biden harris administration announces more half all states have expanded access to 12 months of medicaid and chip postpartum coverage html https www hhs gov about news 2022 02 08 remarks by secretary xavier becerra health affairs journal virtual symposium on racism health html https www hhs gov sites default files hhs snapshot building a healthier america pdf https www fda gov news events press announcements fda provides update proposal unified human foods program including new model office regulatory https www reuters com world us cdc announces revamp plans washington post 2022 04 04 White House frustrations grow over health chief Becerra s handling of pandemic The Washington Post January 31 2022 Retrieved February 16 2022 Becerra in the hot seat again over monkeypox response POLITICO Politico August 12 2022 Biden Joseph October 6 2022 Statement from President Biden on Marijuana Reform The White House Dreier Hannah April 17 2023 U S Was Warned of Migrant Child Labor but Didn t Want to Hear It The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved April 17 2023 Gold Matea March 12 2001 Congressman Tests His Winning Streak Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on December 7 2020 Retrieved December 5 2020 Inter American Dialogue Experts thedialogue org Archived from the original on February 2 2020 Retrieved April 11 2017 Opinion Why Xavier Becerra s critics could never win by attacking his Catholicism NBC News February 24 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 5 1990 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 6 1990 Retrieved March 4 2021 Griego Tina May 31 1990 ELECTIONS ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 59 2 Candidates on Defensive Over Backers Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Retrieved July 21 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 2 1992 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 3 1992 Retrieved March 4 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 7 1994 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 8 1994 Retrieved March 4 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State March 6 1996 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 5 1994 Retrieved March 4 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 2 1998 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 3 1998 Retrieved March 4 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State March 7 2000 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 7 2000 Retrieved March 4 2021 Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State March 5 2002 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 5 2002 Retrieved March 4 2021 Presidential Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State March 2 2004 Retrieved March 4 2021 Presidential General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 2 2004 Retrieved March 4 2021 Gubernatorial Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 6 2006 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 7 2006 Retrieved March 4 2021 Statewide Direct Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 3 2008 Retrieved March 4 2021 Presidential General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 4 2008 Retrieved March 4 2021 Statewide Direct Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 8 2010 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 2 2010 Retrieved March 4 2021 Presidential Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 5 2012 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 6 2012 Retrieved March 4 2021 Statewide Direct Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 3 2014 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 6 2014 Retrieved March 4 2021 Presidential Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 7 2016 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 8 2016 Retrieved March 4 2021 Statewide Direct Primary Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State June 5 2018 Retrieved March 4 2021 General Election Statement of Vote PDF California Secretary of State November 6 2016 Retrieved March 4 2021 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xavier Becerra nbsp Wikisource has original text related to this article Xavier Becerra Campaign websiteBiography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Financial information federal office at the Federal Election Commission Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress Profile at Vote Smart Appearances on C SPAN nbsp Join California Xavier BecerraCalifornia AssemblyPreceded byCharles Calderon Member of the California Assemblyfrom the 59th district1990 1992 Succeeded byDick MountjoyU S House of RepresentativesPreceded byMarty Martinez Member of the U S House of Representativesfrom California s 30th congressional district1993 2003 Succeeded byHenry WaxmanPreceded byEd Pastor Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus1997 1999 Succeeded byLucille Roybal AllardPreceded byHilda Solis Member of the U S House of Representativesfrom California s 31st congressional district2003 2013 Succeeded byGary MillerPreceded byLucille Roybal Allard Member of the U S House of Representativesfrom California s 34th congressional district2013 2017 Succeeded byJimmy GomezParty political officesPreceded byJohn Spratt House Democratic Assistant to the Leader2007 2009 Succeeded byChris Van HollenPreceded byJohn Larson Vice Chair of the House Democratic Conference2009 2013 Succeeded byJoe CrowleyChair of the House Democratic Conference2013 2017Legal officesPreceded byKathleen KenealyActing Attorney General of California2017 2021 Succeeded byMatt RodriquezActingPolitical officesPreceded byAlex Azar United States Secretary of Health and Human Services2021 present IncumbentU S order of precedence ceremonial Preceded byJulie Suas Acting Secretary of Labor Order of precedence of the United Statesas Secretary of Health and Human Services Succeeded byMarcia Fudgeas Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentU S presidential line of successionPreceded byJulie Suas Acting Secretary of Labor 12th in lineas Secretary of Health and Human Services Succeeded byMarcia Fudgeas Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 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