The Senate Finance Committee reached an impasse over the nomination earlier this month, requiring the Democratic leadership of the chamber to go through the additional step of presenting the nomination for the full Senate vote on Thursday.
Becerra’s immediate focus will be to fill the ranks of HHS political appointees. An unexpectedly bitter fight over who will lead the FDA has left an important agency that is part of HHS without a full-time leader, and is presenting an initial test of how accommodative the Biden administration will be for the pharmaceutical industry.
Although Democrats expressed confidence that Becerra would be confirmed, his fate remained in limbo until a procedural vote to advance the nomination last week, when centrist Sens. Joe Manchin (DW. Va.) And Collins declared their support. Both cited conversations with Becerra about health issues important to their respective states, including addiction to opioids and bringing telemedicine to rural areas, despite differences with him over abortion, the effects of armed violence on public health and other controversial issues. .
Becerra met with more than 40 senators from both parties, following up three or four times with some who had additional questions or concerns, including Collins.
External groups have also mobilized on your behalf, including influential Latin defense and powerful health industry organizations, such as the American Hospital Association and the Home Care Association of America, which cited Becerra’s policies as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Becerra also had the help of some unlikely allies – Republican attorney generals with whom he clashed over Obamacare, abortion rights and other issues, but who praised his collaboration in Covid’s response and in combating opioid abuse.
The support helped to counteract an aggressive effort by Republicans in Congress and outside conservative groups to reject the nomination, including advertisements targeting indecisive senators who are running for re-election in 2022.
Critics argued that Becerra’s track record supporting abortion rights, Medicare for All and California’s pandemic restrictions on companies and churches made him too much of a supporter for the job. They also repeatedly mentioned the fact that Becerra had no medical training or experience in the health industry, although most HHS secretaries were not medical professionals.
“His arguments are almost ridiculous,” said Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday. “While the Biden government is working to defeat this pandemic, the president deserves to have his cabinet confirmed.”
A Republican strategist who worked on the anti-Becerra campaign told POLITICO that it was difficult for his message to erupt with such attention on the fate of Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion Covid relief bill.
“Much of our energy has been spent to ensure that there is a real examination of your record, so even if it is confirmed, people are doing it with their eyes open,” he said.
Democrats cited the urgency of Covid-19’s response to pressure their colleagues to support Becerra, betting that it would be politically damaging for Republicans to block the government’s health officer in the midst of a public health crisis.
“The American people are ready to end this pandemic,” said Senate finance president Ron Wyden (D-Ore) on Wednesday. “They cannot wait any longer for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be confirmed and to start working.