Reaction to Xavier Becerra Confirmation: ‘Americans Must Be Prepared for What Is Coming’

American leaders for life and faith are condemning the confirmation of Xavier Becerra to serve as President Joe Biden’s secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and warning of the potential consequences of his rise to head the $1.3 trillion department.

“Xavier Becerra’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services poses a clear and present danger for Catholics and all people of faith,” reacted Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, a national faith-based advocacy organization.

“Given his record of aggressive hostility to free speech, health care freedom, and the traditional values of marriage, family, and the sanctity of life, Americans must be prepared for what is coming,” he added.

The Senate confirmed the former California attorney general to lead HHS on Thursday, 50–49.

All Republicans, except Sen. Susan Collins (ME), voted against Becerra’s confirmation.

The abortion industry celebrated Becerra’s confirmation.

While he has had no experience in the field of health care, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson referred to Becerra as a “health care champion.” However, the abortion industry claims terminating pregnancies is health care:

Meanwhile, national abortion political advocacy group NARAL tweeted Becerra will “be able to make reproductive freedom the priority that it should be”:

Nevertheless, Burch referred to Becerra as “a culture warrior and extreme left-wing ideologue who has repeatedly trampled on our most fundamental constitutional rights.”

He elaborated:

We can only assume Becerra’s clear contempt for religious freedom will continue in his new role. It is only a matter of time before he targets the Little Sisters of the Poor again, strips doctors and religious institutions of conscience rights, and mandates other harmful policies that assault core freedoms cherished by people of faith. Every Senator who voted in favor of this confirmation is now responsible for the radical policies likely to come out of HHS during Becerra’s tenure — and voters must hold them accountable.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins emphasized Becerra has “zero training in medicine, science, pharma, or the health care world.”

“The only real experience he has with the industry is suing hospitals, pregnancy care centers, and other entities that aren’t pro-abortion enough for his liking,” he said. “His extreme views are bad enough, but as attorney general of California, he forced those views on others, even after he was rebuked by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the free speech rights of pro-life pregnancy centers in the case of NIFLA [National Institute of Family and Life Advocates] v. Becerra. In addition to protecting the work of pro-life pregnancy centers, the ruling also expanded protections for the First Amendment rights of medical professionals, Christian counselors, and churches.

“As in NIFLA v. Becerra, NIFLA will continue to stand against partisan targeting of pregnancy centers,” said Anne O’Connor, the organization’s vice president of legal affairs. “His anti-life bullying will not be tolerated.”

Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson, now a pro-life activist, called Becerra’s confirmation “perhaps the most devastating consequence of Biden’s time in office thus far.”

Johnson explained:

This man has made it his mission to be a radical activist during his time in office, suing the Little Sisters of the Poor, who are nuns who have taken the vow of chastity, for not providing birth control. He also sued pregnancy centers in California to advertise for abortion, which is directly contrary to their mission. It’s not enough for Xavier Becerra to disagree with groups of people – he has demonstrated he wants to obliterate them.

“Elections have vast consequences and it is a travesty that so many Christians and Catholics were persuaded to vote for a man, and legislators to do his bidding, who now has the power to appoint people who, in many cases, will decide between life and death,” Johnson added.

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, said if Becerra’s record is indicative of his future actions, she expects he will “weaponize the more than trillion-dollar budget of the Department of Health and Human Services to attack or disadvantage those with whom he disagrees, and advance unpopular pro-abortion policies.”

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, reacted to Becerra’s confirmation saying, “President Biden could not have picked a more eager and enthusiastic partner to destroy pro-life policy and expand abortion on demand.”