Becerra: The Canary in the Coal Mine
Xavier Becerra, pictured with Hillary Clinton, is President
Biden's pick to head HHS. Known for his vendetta against
pro-lifers, he's been nominated to lead the agency that most
deals with the issue of abortion. Ask your senators to oppose his
nomination.
[link removed]
As the Biden era began yesterday, I was reminded of an old football
maxim: "The quarterback gets too much credit and too much
blame." He's the focal point, yes, but the outcome is
determined by the whole team.
There's a related maxim in politics - one that was drilled
into my head as a 20-something working in D.C.: "Personnel is
policy." Who we elect is critical, but who that leader puts in
positions of power makes an enormous difference in the outcome.
So as we heard President Biden give a speech that focused on unity
- a welcome theme after all the anger and turmoil - the
natural reaction was to wonder how long that refrain will last. A big
hint came in the afternoon with his one-sided executive orders.
But the best clues as to how this new administration will play out are
his picks for the Cabinet. And when it comes to the issues of life and
religious freedom, all eyes first go to Health and Human Services
(HHS).
HHS is a sprawling bureaucracy that now has the largest budget of any
federal agency, and its jurisdiction covers many of the issues that
Family Policy Alliance is most engaged in. During the Trump
Administration, it was led by an extraordinary number of outstanding
leaders who were committed to life, religious liberty and the
centrality of the family.
But it appears that Joe Biden intends for HHS to do an abrupt U-turn,
based on his choice of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to
lead it.
Before he was AG of California, Becerra served in the U.S. House for
24 years. His record was staunchly pro-abortion, earning him a 100
percent rating from Planned Parenthood. He opposed all protections for
the preborn, even up to the moment of birth. Even the liberal Vanity
Fair magazine described him as a "strident supporter" of
abortion rights.
Likewise, in his more than two decades in Congress, he got 100 percent
marks from the leading LGBT lobbying group and from the anti-religious
freedom ACLU.
Four years ago, he was chosen by Gov. Jerry Brown to succeed Kamala
Harris as California Attorney General. In that powerful post, his
extreme ideology ran rampant.
Becerra is the one responsible for rabidly prosecuting David Daleiden,
whose undercover videos exposed Planned Parenthood's alleged
profiteering from harvesting and trafficking the organs of preborn
children.
And he sued the Little Sisters of the Poor to force them to pay for
services that directly violate their religious convictions. Now, he is
litigating to remove their religious exemption in the state of
California.
This nominee has no medical background. His passion and his experience
are in the area of imposing his progressive social agenda, and he has
been handpicked for the very agency that touches these issues the
most.
We need more unity in America, to be sure. But nominations like this
will not, and must not, bring unity.
If you agree that Xavier Becerra is the wrong choice to lead HHS,
please make your voice heard to your two U.S. senators
[link removed]
, who will soon consider his confirmation. It only takes a minute on
our Action Center.
[link removed]
Then please do one more thing: spread the word. Every American who
cares about protecting life and religious freedom needs to know and
needs to speak up.
Sincerely,
John Paulton
Mobilization Manager
Take Action
[link removed]
866.655.4545 - 8675 Explorer Drive, Suite 112, Colorado Springs, CO
80920
© Family Policy Alliance
Click here to unsubscribe or change your email preferences
[link removed]
