Senate confirms Xavier Becerra as health secretary

On Thursday, the Senate voted 50-49 to make California’s radical pro-abortion attorney general head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After a committee split along party lines over whether to advance Xavier Becerra’s nomination, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., forced a Senate vote to move the confirmation process forward over stiff Republican opposition.

Why was the confirmation vote so close? As California attorney general, Becerra led the prosecution of pro-life activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt for their hidden camera investigation of Planned Parenthood. He also sued the Little Sisters of the Poor in an attempt to force them to provide contraception to employees under Obamacare. Previously, Becerra served more than two decades in the U.S. House. At his hearing, Republican senators criticized his lack of healthcare experience and his aggressive attacks on religious liberty and pro-life supporters.

Dig Deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on Biden’s Cabinet selections for more on Becerra’s background.