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| California Attorney General and HHS Secretary Nominee Xavier Becerra photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr |
On Tuesday, he was asked by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions why he voted against a partial-birth abortion ban in 2003 (he was US congressman at the time). He refused to answer the question.
“I think we can find some common ground on these issues, because everyone wants to make sure that, if you have an opportunity, you’re going to live a healthy life,” he said in response to a question about partial-birth abortion by Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT).
“I think we can reach common ground on many issues. But on partial-birth abortion, it sounds like we’re not going to reach common ground there,” Romney responded.
Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) also highlighted Becerra's record on abortion, and called on him to promise he would commit “to not using taxpayer money to fund abortions and abortion providers.”
In response, Becerra said that he would “definitely follow the law when it comes to the use of federal resources.” He followed up that response by saying “we probably will not agree on all the issues.”
Roger Severino, former head of the HHS civil rights office, told CNA that he should have to answer for violating federal conscience protections as California's Attorney General.
“Becerra should have been asked to explain why he preferred to have California lose $200 million in Medicaid funds over allowing nuns to have insurance without abortion coverage, after my office had found him liable for violating the law,” said Severino.
When California passed an abortion coverage mandate on health plans in the state, Becerra enforced the mandate against religious institutions as well. This violated the Weldon Amendment, which gives religious institutions conscience protections from such mandates. The HHS Office of Civil Rights warned Becerra of the violation, but he refused to comply. 10 months later, the HHS announced it would withhold $200 million in Medicaid funds as a result of the violation.
Severino further argued that Becerra's actions indicate he “would try to shut down the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division” and that he would remove HHS regulations that prevent physicians from prescribing the abortion pill regimen remotely.
During his time as California's Attorney General, he has also prosecuted pro-life undercover journalist David Daleiden for recording videos revealing the fact that Planned Parenthood was harvesting and selling the body parts of aborted babies.
Pro-life groups, including Democrats for Life of America, are speaking out against Becerra's nomination for the position of HHS Secretary.
Becerra has no experience working in the health care industry.
