Lawmakers have called for Joe Biden to withdraw his nomination for Xavier Becerra, California's first Latino attorney general, as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In a letter dated Feb. 22, 11 senators and 75 Republican congressmen, led by Senators James Lankford and Tom Cotton, have expressed their concern over the president's nomination for Becerra, CBN News revealed.
"We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. Becerra's lack of healthcare experience, enthusiasm for replacing private health insurance with government-run Medicare-for-all, and embrace of radical policies on immigration, abortion, and religious liberty, render him unfit for any position of public trust, and especially for HHS Secretary," the letter said.
The letter continued saying that Becerra has insufficient experience for the role.
"Our nation cannot afford to lose valuable time in this battle by installing an HHS Secretary who is not up to the challenges we face. But that is exactly what you propose to do by nominating Mr. Becerra, a man with no meaningful experience in healthcare, public health, large-scale logistics, or any other areas critical to meeting our present challenges," it added.
In addition to their concern is the lawyer's support for "radical policies," such as replacing Americans' private health insurance with Medicare for All, which the lawmakers said is a "dangerous" policy. Moreover, they have noted that Becerra sought to decriminalize illegal immigration, extending "expensive government benefits" for illegal immigrants.
The lawmakers also reminded Biden of Becerra's stand on abortion ban and support for an anti-religious legislation.
"He opposed the 2003 partial-birth abortion ban and cosponsored legislation that would force religious employers like Hobby Lobby to cover the morning-after pill, even in the face of sincerely held religious objections," the letter further stated.
The letter further pointed out Becerra's "contempt for anyone who doesn't agree with his radical leftist agenda," prosecuting social conservatives and religious groups, as well as forcing Californian churches into lockdown.
The legislators then warned that his confirmation would divide the country and "endanger lives."
Xavier Becerra, @POTUS' nominee for HHS secretary is one of the country's most ardent abortion advocates- even directly calling for violations of federal conscience protection laws.
I joined @SenTomCotton & 70 other members calling on President Biden to withdraw his nomination pic.twitter.com/ZPRdUybGcZ"” Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) February 22, 2021
According to CNN, Becerra told the senators during the hearing that they could "find some common ground" on the issues concerned.
But Sen. Mitt Romney responded, "I think we can reach common ground on many issues, but on partial birth abortion, it sounds like we are not going to reach common ground there."
Sen. Tom Cotton has been reportedly campaigning against Becerra, saying that he "will put the health insurance" at risk and warned that senators who would vote for him "will face a reckoning from voters in the next election."
His confirmation would make Becerra the first Latino to lead the department.
Becerra was born in Sacramento, California in 1958. He studied Bachelor of Arts in Economics in Stanford University and earned his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School. He was a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving 12 terms in Congress. He is known for many controversial policies and acts, including pushing abortion on people of faith, such as a group of nuns called the Little Sisters of the Poor.
