Name: Becerra confirmation would mean left-wing ‘culture wars,' GOP senators say
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Becerra confirmation would mean left-wing ‘culture wars,' GOP senators say

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Closehe confirmation of Xavier Becerra as head of the most sweeping federal health agency will mean “culture wars” driven by divisive liberal policies, Senate Republicans say.“Xavier Becerra isn’t an experienced consensus leader, he’s a culture war super-soldier with a long history of attacking First Amendment freedoms,” Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse said.“Culture wars are poison to self-government, especially during a real public health crisis. The Senate should reject his divisive nomination,” he said.Sasse, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee, had a heated exchange with Biden’s nominee in his confirmation hearing last week in which he attacked Becerra for “bullying” an order of nuns that cares for the elderly poor, referencing Becerra’s against the Trump administration’s move to allow faith-based ministries an exemption from the Obamacare contraception mandate.President Biden Becerra, the current California attorney general, to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed by the Senate, Becerra would oversee major federal health agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.As attorney general, Becerra launched more than 100 legal challenges against Trump administration policies on healthcare, immigration, and the environment. He is best known for joining 18 other states in fighting against efforts to overturn Obamacare in the Supreme Court. The decision is expected to be handed down in June.Republicans have increasingly called Becerra a culture warrior, a label meant to highlight Becerra’s support for liberal policies. His legal fight against anti-abortion activist David Daleiden, his case to remove a Trump-era religious freedom exemption for the Little Sisters of the Poor, and his stalwart defense of Obamacare in the Supreme Court have all among Republicans of promoting "radical" policies and launching fights against those who challenge him. If confirmed, Becerra would oversee the most sweeping federal department, with a budget of about $1.3 trillion. The powers of the HHS secretary are expansive. Becerra would dictate U.S. healthcare policy on a range of issues from abortion rights to Medicare reform. For instance, he would wield the power to restore the mandate on the Little Sisters of the Poor to provide contraception coverage as part of its health plans. He could also rescind a Trump administration rule that prohibits Title X funding grantees such as Planned Parenthood from providing or referring patients for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergency.“He'll be able to put his fingerprints on healthcare policy administratively in a way that concerns so many of us here in the Senate,” said Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana. “In looking at his record as a culture warrior… he's aggressively pursued a pro-abortion agenda, even when that’s crossed the line on protecting religious freedom.”Becerra was vague in his answers from senators on the health committee last week, leaning mostly on Biden campaign promises. While Becerra did not name specific policies he would pursue, Daines said that “past performance is usually a good indicator of your future results. And look at his past performance.”Becerra is “infamous” in the coalition of anti-abortion advocates for his “decadeslong record of initiating attacks on life,” according to Mallory Quigley, vice president of communications for the conservative anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List.“Becerra is far from moderate on abortion, religious liberty, and conscience rights,” Quigley told the Washington Examiner. “We expect pro-life Republicans to continue taking opportunities to go on offense to expose his extremism in the hope that Americans will see the truth.”Republicans on the finance and health committees also attacked Becerra over his support for a single-payer healthcare system, commonly referred to as “Medicare for all.”Finance Committee ranking member Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, demanded last week that Becerra assure lawmakers that he would not work to eliminate private insurance plans in exchange for “some sort of ‘Medicare for all’ approach or federal takeover of healthcare?”Becerra pledged to further Biden’s campaign promise to build on Obamacare and improve existing policies.Senate committees have not voted to confirm Becerra yet. He can’t be confirmed by the full Senate until the Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committees approve him for the job. Becerra’s chances are helped by a Democratic-majority Senate, but Daines said opposition among Republicans is growing so much that “it’s going to be close.”

Closehe confirmation of Xavier Becerra as head of the most sweeping federal health agency will mean “culture wars” driven by divisive liberal policies, Senate Republicans say.“Xavier Becerra isn’t an experienced consensus leader, he’s a culture war super-soldier with a long history of attacking First Amendment freedoms,” Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse said.“Culture wars are poison to self-government, especially during a real public health crisis. The Senate should reject his divisive nomination,” he said.Sasse, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee, had a heated exchange with Biden’s...

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Cassidy Morrison

The Washington Examiner is an American conservative news website and weekly magazine based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by MediaDC, a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group, which is owned by Philip Anschutz. From 2005 to mid-2013, the Examiner published a daily tabloid-sized newspaper, distributed throughout the Washington, D.C., metro area. The newspaper focused on local news and political commentary. The local newspaper ceased publication on June 14, 2013, whereupon its content began to focus almost exclusively on national politics, switching its print edition from a daily newspaper to a weekly magazine format.

Becerra confirmation would mean left-wing ‘culture wars,' GOP senators say

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