Congressman García Applauds Becerra's Confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary

Statement

Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) issued the following statement after Xavier Becerra was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

"I offer my congratulations to Xavier Becerra who was just confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the first Latino to hold the position.

"We are facing the worst public health crisis in a hundred years. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 500,000 people in the United States and continues to take a devastating toll on Latino and Black communities. The next Health and Human Services Secretary will oversee a massive vaccine rollout and play a crucial role to bolster the federal response to COVID-19.

"Xavier Becerra has a proven record of fighting to expand access to health care and protecting underserved communities. During his 24 years in the House of Representatives, Becerra helped expand the Children's Health Insurance Program and craft the Affordable Care Act. As Attorney General of California, he is fighting for more affordable, quality health care for everyone including women, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and migrant children. During the pandemic, Becerra has held companies accountable for ignoring COVID-19 safety rules and endangering workers' safety. With his executive experience and health policy background, Becerra will be an excellent HHS Secretary and will put patients and public health first at HHS.

"We are at a critical moment during the pandemic, and with strong leadership from the Biden administration and Secretary Becerra, we will continue a robust and equitable vaccine rollout. I look forward to working with Secretary Becerra to center equity at the heart of our health policy and expand health care access for underserved communities."

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