President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as his first secretary of Health and Human Services, three people familiar with the plan tell CBS News. He would oversee a sprawling department set to play a leading role in the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, and he would be tasked with helping to build public trust in it.
A public announcement of Becerra’s nomination and of Mr. Biden’s other choices for key public health roles is expected on Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for Becerra didn’t return requests for comment. Biden transition officials also would not comment on the news.
Becerra, 62, has served as California’s top prosecutor since 2017 when he succeeded now-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the role. He served in Congress for more than 20 years and was once seen as a potential House Speaker.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Becerra would be the first Latino to hold the role — a symbolic nomination at a time when Latinos are disproportionately affected by the medical and economic affects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which Becerra once chaired, said late Sunday that “in this moment of crisis” for Latinos reeling from the pandemic, his nomination is welcomed news. The group added that it is “encouraging President-elect Biden to appoint five Latinos in the Cabinet, including Latinas in prominent positions. We will continue to work in partnership with the Biden-Harris transition team to assemble the most diverse administration in American history.”
A Becerra associate who confirmed his nomination to CBS News said, “We need a Latino in this role.” This person, who was granted anonymity because he wasn’t permitted to speak publicly about the matter, said Becerra was asked to serve by Mr. Biden in recent days.
This person also said Becerra’s ability to speak Spanish fluently should help him explain and defend vaccination programs to parts of the Latino community that primarily speak Spanish in ways other public officials cannot.
Becerra was also said to be under consideration to succeed Harris in the Senate or to serve as Mr. Biden’s first attorney general.
While he has no medical training or experience in public health, he has served as a top defender of the Affordable Care Act. While in Congress, he was a leading advocate for passage of the law and as California’s attorney general, he has defended the law in federal court, including in recent weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Becerra’s nomination also means that Mr. Biden has nominated two Latinos to what his team calls the “Big Six” Cabinet seats — State, Defense, Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.
Becerra’s expected nomination was first reported by the New York Times.
The president-elect has nominated Alejandro Mayorkas, a Cuban-American, to serve as the first Latino secretary of Homeland Security. Janet Yellen is Mr. Biden’s Treasury nominee and would be the first woman to hold the role. Antony Blinken has been nominated to be Secretary of State. The other positions remain unfilled.