The American College of Radiology “strongly supports” appointing California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the next Health and Human Services chief, and it’s urging Senate leaders to confirm him.
ACR voiced its support in two letters last week, addressed to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along with Senate Finance. As a longtime former congressman and House Ways and Means Committee member, Becerra worked closely with the college on imaging legislation tied to accreditation standards and appropriate use criteria.
He also played a prominent role in enacting the Affordable Care Act, noted Howard Fleishon, MD, chairman of the ACR’s board of chancellors.
“Attorney General Becerra has both the experience of running one of the largest government agencies in the country as well as the proven ability to navigate the challenges of the federal legislative and regulatory processes,” he wrote Jan. 20. “These skills, along with his proven track record of bringing people together to solve big problems, will be critical as he addresses the nation’s worth healthcare crisis in over a century.”
President Joe Biden first elected Becerra back in December, drawing similar praise from the ACR, American Society for Radiation Oncology and other healthcare advocates. Conservatives have criticized his selection, citing his history of defending the ACA and abortion rights, Fox News reported. Just recently, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., labeled him as unqualified and a “partisan culture warrior.”
“Any senator who supports his nomination will bear responsibility for his all-too-predictable radical actions in office,” the senator wrote in an op-ed.
Lawmakers have not yet set a date for Becerra’s confirmation hearings as of Monday. Bloomberg Government noted that the process is in limbo as Senate leaders attempt to hash out a power-sharing agreement that includes committee assignments.
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.