The American College of Radiology and other provider groups are praising President-elect’s pick to lead Health and Human Services, while others are sharing some skepticism.
Joe Biden’s transition team on Monday revealed former U.S. congressman and current California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the next HHS secretary. In an announcement, the incoming commander-in-chief’s team called Becerra a “long-time champion of expanding access to healthcare,” who helped defend of the Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court last month.
ACR said Monday that it supports the selection, adding that it “looks forward to working with Mr. Becerra as we continue our longstanding dialogue with HHS.” If confirmed, he would be the first Latino leading the department.
“Becerra is incredibly qualified for this position,” the college said Monday, Dec. 7. “During his time in Congress, former Rep. Becerra worked closely with the ACR to improve the American healthcare system and protect patient access to high quality imaging care.”
The American Society for Radiation Oncology similarly applauded the nomination this week, also lauding his work to expand access to care.
“We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm him as secretary of health and human services,” Chair Thomas Eichler, MD, said in a statement. “ASTRO believes Mr. Becerra is highly qualified for this critical position, and we look for him to prioritize science-based approaches in the country's ongoing fight against COVID-19.”
Politico on Monday labeled Becerra as the “chief legal nemesis” of the Trump administration. He’s spent the last four years fighting against efforts to gut the ACA, stop illegal immigrants from using government health programs, and curbing abortion rights, the report noted.
As such, a number of religious and conservative groups criticized the nomination this week, him calling him “hostile to religious liberty,” according to Fox News. Others such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a leading House progressive, expressed concerns about Becerra’s lack of experience in public health, Politico noted.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.