Biden Says Pro-Abortion California AG Xavier Becerra would be his HHS Secretary

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra
photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Former vice-president Joe Biden announced this week that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra would serve as his Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The pick surprised many since Becerra's experience is in law rather than health care. He does have experience using his powers to oppress pro-life activists, however.

After Becerra became California Attorney General (when previous Attorney General Kamala Harris moved on to the U.S. Senate) he continued Harris's work of prosecuting pro-life investigators for exposing Planned Parenthood's harvesting of fetal body parts. He filed a barrage of charges against Center for Medical Progress investigators David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, many of which were overturned in court. He sought to muzzle their journalism with the force of California privacy law, something that had never been done before.

Becerra is also known for fighting legal battles against pro-life pregnancy centers. He was the defendant in NIFLA v. Becerra, a case in which California was attempting to force pro-life pregnancy centers to promote abortions with government-mandated signage. The Supreme Court narrowly voted in favor of the pregnancy centers with a 5-4 decision.

In response to Biden's announcement regarding Becerra, National Right to Life President Carol Tobias said, “As California’s attorney general, Becerra repeatedly and aggressively attacked protective pro-life laws and organizations with rancor. While a congressman, he had a 100% pro-abortion voting record.”

National Right to Life also noted that Becerra was one of several pro-abortion state attorneys general that sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting that they lift restrictions on abortion pills, going as far as to file an amicus brief in support of a court challenge.

“Becerra has been especially aggressive in pushing for widespread access and use of chemical abortions without any FDA restrictions,” said Tobias. “Becerra and other pro-abortion attorneys general have repeatedly acted on behalf of the abortion industry and this is just another example of Becerra’s advocacy.”

“Xavier Becerra is an abortion activist plain and simple,” said Tobias. “Anyone doubting whether Joe Biden is a ‘moderate’ on abortion has the answer: he’s not. Nominating Becerra and picking Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate are clear indicators that he will give the abortion industry whatever it wants. Tragically, women and their unborn babies will be the ones to suffer.”

Click here to read more.