Report: Biden cabinet Pick Xavier Becerra planning exit

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra is preparing for his post-administration career and departing from the cabinet of President Joe Biden, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter who spoke to Politico.

Becerra has recently engaged in discussions regarding his departure from the administration and the possibility of running for governor of California in 2026, according to two individuals with knowledge of the discussions who spoke with Politico.

Politico reported that the cabinet official has spent over $130,000 on "campaign consultants" in the past year.

Becerra's recent comments ...

“I am secretary of HHS and, by law, I have to be secretary of HHS and nothing else,” Becerra said at a recent event in San Francisco, according to Politico. “So I’m gonna do my job as best I can.”

Becerra's former state committee reportedly received payments labelled "consulting" services during his tenure in the Biden administration, according to Politico.

A senior official from the Biden administration confirmed to Politico that he was not informed of Becerra's expenditures on "campaign consultants" in conjunction with his other political expenditures.

Assumptions about the future ...

Democrats have previously speculated to Politico that if Biden is re-elected in 2024, he will rehire the secretary.

However, Axios previously reported that Biden officials, including Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice, harbored "deep animosity" toward HHS Secretary Becerra, which has contributed to the HIS Secretary's rocky tenure.

According to Axios, Rice allegedly once referred to Becerra as a "bitch ass" and has since dubbed him a "idiot" in private.

Axios reports that Rice passed a note to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas during a meeting in which Biden was displeased with Becerra, which said "Don't save him," refrencing Becerra.

Trouble for Becerra in office ...

The COVID-19 pandemic marked the beginning of Becerra's tumultuous term in office. Under the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the FDA are both part of the Department of Public Health.

It was not always easy for those organizations and the White House to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19 while also persuading the vaccine-skeptical to take the shots.

The slowness with which the Biden administration updated COVID-19 guidelines in order to reopen the nation, especially schools, was another point of criticism.

Along with the HHS's treatment of migrant children, for which Becerra has also taken heat The reunification of migrant children with suitable sponsors, monitoring their locations, and providing them with shelters that meet humane standards are all issues that critics have brought up.

The United States's withdrawal from Afghanistan caused problems for the department of health and human services (HHS) that is in charge of resettling refugees.