Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra is an American attorney and public official who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. Prior to his cabinet appointment, he represented California in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty‑four years (1993–2017) and held statewide office as California’s attorney general from 2017 until joining the federal administration.

Early life and career

Born on January 26, 1958, in Sacramento, California, Becerra grew up in a modest household with his parents, Maria Teresa and Manuel Guerrero Becerra, and three sisters. His father was born in the United States but raised in Tijuana, Baja California, while his mother hailed from Guadalajara, Jalisco. The family lived in a one‑room apartment during his childhood.

Becerra completed high school at C.K. McClatchy High School in 1976 before traveling abroad to study at the University of Salamanca in Spain for the academic year 1978–1979. He returned to California and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Stanford University in 1980, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. He continued his education at Stanford Law School, receiving a Juris Doctor in 1984, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985.

Early professional work included legal assistance for individuals with mental disorders through the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts (now Community Legal Aid). In 1986, Becerra returned to California and served as an administrative assistant to Democratic state senator Art Torres. He then joined the California Department of Justice as a deputy attorney general under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 until 1990.

In 1990, after incumbent assemblymember Charles Calderon pursued a seat in the California Senate, Becerra launched a campaign for the state assembly. He won the Democratic primary against Marta Maestas and subsequently defeated Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall in the general election, securing 60 % of the vote. He represented California’s 59th district for one term until 1992.

Cabinet tenure

Becerra entered national politics when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, representing California’s 30th congressional district (later renumbered as the 31st after the 2000 census). He served continuously from 1993 through 2017, during which time his district was eventually redrawn into the 34th district following the 2012 elections. In that election he won with 85.6 % of the vote against Republican Stephen Smith.

Within Congress, Becerra held several leadership positions. He chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999 and served as chair of the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017. During the 110th Congress he was appointed assistant to the speaker, and in the 111th and 112th Congresses he served as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus after defeating Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175–67.

His legislative record includes voting against H.R. 3541 (the Prenatal Non‑Discrimination Act), which would have imposed civil and criminal penalties for sex‑selective abortion. He also argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic religious order, should be required to provide birth control services under the Affordable Care Act. In late 2020 he urged the California Supreme Court to drop a murder charge against Chelsea Becker, who had been arrested following a stillbirth in which methamphetamine was found in the fetus’s system; Becerra contended that the state’s murder statute was intended to protect pregnant women from third‑party violence rather than criminalize outcomes of their own pregnancies.

Becerra served on the Committee on Ways and Means, including its subcommittees on Oversight, Health, and Social Security, as well as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. His caucus memberships encompassed the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (former chair), the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In January 2017, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Becerra to succeed Kamala Harris as California’s attorney general, making him the first Latino to hold that office. He was elected to a full four‑year term in 2018, defeating Republican Steven Bailey with 61 % of the vote. During his tenure he filed 122 lawsuits against the Trump administration and established an environmental justice bureau within the California Department of Justice in 2018.

On January 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Becerra for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Senate confirmed him, and he served as secretary from 2021 until 2025, overseeing the federal department responsible for public health policy, Medicare, Medicaid, and a range of social services.

Legacy

Becerra’s career reflects a trajectory of increasing responsibility across state and federal levels of government. As a long‑serving member of Congress, he chaired key caucuses that represented Hispanic, Asian Pacific American, and progressive constituencies, thereby contributing to the visibility of these groups within legislative processes. His leadership roles in the House Democratic Caucus positioned him as an influential figure in shaping party strategy during his tenure.

In California, Becerra’s appointment as the first Latino attorney general marked a milestone for representation in statewide office. His legal initiatives included extensive litigation against federal policies and the creation of an environmental justice bureau, underscoring a focus on addressing systemic inequities within the state’s justice system.

At the national level, his service as Secretary of Health and Human Services placed him at the helm of the agency responsible for public health programs affecting millions of Americans. While specific policy achievements during his cabinet tenure are not detailed here, his role encompassed oversight of Medicare, Medicaid, and other health‑related initiatives integral to federal governance.

Overall, Becerra’s professional journey illustrates a sustained commitment to public service across multiple arenas—legal advocacy, legislative leadership, state executive office, and federal administration—highlighting the breadth of experience he brought to each position.