Xavier Becerra (Latin American Spanish: [xaˈβjeɾ βeˈsera]; born January 26, 1958) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th United States secretary of health and human services from March 2021 to January 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Becerra previously served as the attorney general of California from January 2017 until March 2021.

Born in Sacramento, California, Becerra received a bachelor's degree and a J.D. degree from Stanford University. In 1986, he worked as an administrative assistant for state senator Art Torres. He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 1987 to 1990. Between 1990 and 1992, he was a member of the California State Assembly.

First elected to the House of Representatives in 1992, Becerra was the chairman of the U.S. House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017. He is a candidate for governor of California in the 2026 election.

Becerra was born on January 26, 1958, in Sacramento, California.^[1] Becerra is the son of Maria Teresa and Manuel Guerrero Becerra. His father was born in the U.S. and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and his mother was from Guadalajara.^[2] Becerra grew up in a one-room apartment with his three sisters.^[3] He graduated in 1976 from C.K. McClatchy High School.^[4] He studied abroad at the University of Salamanca from 1978 to 1979. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Stanford University in 1980, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college.^[5][6] He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stanford Law School in 1984, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985.^[7]

As an attorney, Becerra worked on cases involving individuals who had mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts^[8] (now Community Legal Aid).

Becerra returned to California, and in 1986, became an administrative assistant for Democratic State Senator Art Torres of Los Angeles.^[9] He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 to 1990.^[10]

After incumbent state assemblyman Charles Calderon decided to seek a seat in the California Senate, Becerra launched a campaign for the California State Assembly, defeating Calderon's Senate aide Marta Maestas in the Democratic primary.^[11] He went on to defeat Republican Lee Lieberg and Libertarian Steven Pencall, receiving 60% of the vote.^[12] Becerra served one term in the State Assembly, representing California's 59th district, from 1990 to 1992.^[13]

In the 30th district, Becerra won the Democratic primary with a plurality of 32% of the vote.^[14] In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Morry Waksberg, 58%–24%.^[15] He won re-election to a second term in 1994 with 66%^[16] of the vote. His district was renumbered as the 31st district after the 2000 census.^{[citation needed]}

After redistricting, ahead of the 2012 elections, most of Becerra's old district became the 34th district. He defeated Republican Stephen Smith 85.6% to 14.4%.^[17]

Becerra was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which he served as chairman during the 105th Congress.^[18]

Becerra was appointed assistant to the speaker of the House for the 110th Congress.^[19] He won his bid to succeed John Larson as Vice-Chair in the 111th Congress, defeating Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175–67.^[20]

Becerra successfully ran for a second term as vice-chair in 2011 to serve during the 112th Congress.^[21]

Becerra voted against H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act (PRENDA), which would have imposed civil and criminal penalties on anyone knowingly attempting to perform a sex-selective abortion.^{[citation needed]}

Becerra 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.^[22] In late 2020, arguing that the prosecution would discourage pregnant women from obtaining addiction treatment, Becerra requested that the Supreme Court of California block the murder prosecution of a woman who had consumed methamphetamine during her pregnancy, resulting in a stillbirth. The court declined to do so.^[23]

• Committee on Ways and Means^[24]
  • Subcommittee on Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Social Security
• Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction^[25]

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus (Former Chair)
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus

On January 24, 2017, Becerra took office and become the first Latino to serve as California's attorney general.^[26] Becerra was elected to a full four-year term in 2018, after defeating Republican challenger Steven Bailey by securing 61 percent of the vote.^[27] He delivered the Democratic Spanish-language response to President Trump's 2019 State of the Union address.^[28]

Becerra filed 122 lawsuits against the Trump administration.^[29][30]

In 2018, Becerra created an environmental justice bureau at the California Department of Justice. It opposed the effort to expand San Bernardino International Airport due to concerns regarding air pollution, intervened to halt a proposed waterfront cement plant in Vallejo, citing significant concerns over increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and supported the City of Arvin's oil and gas ordinance, endorsing a 300-foot buffer for homes, schools, and hospitals.^[31][32]

On May 11, 2020, Becerra secured a preliminary injunction in this lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully expanding water export operations in the Central Valley.^[33]

On June 4, 2019, Becerra announced the arrest of Naasón Joaquín García, the leader of La Luz Del Mundo and other co-defendants. Charges included human trafficking, production of child pornography, and forcible rape of a minor. On June 8, 2022, Naasón Joaquín García was sentenced to more than 16 years in a California prison.^[34]

On January 17, 2020, Becerra and Riverside Police chief Larry Gonzalez announced the successful execution of "Operation Blocc Buster". The operation led to the arrest of 15 individuals associated with the Casa Blanca Gangster Crips street gang in Riverside and the seizure of 14 firearms, methamphetamine, and cocaine.^{[citation needed]}

In August 2018, an operation targeted the MS-13 gang in the Central Valley and beyond. The following year, multiple operations were directed against Norteño street gangs in Kings, Tulare, and Stanislaus Counties, as well as in Stockton.^{[citation needed]} In December 2019, the Country Boy Crips in south Bakersfield were the focus of a significant operation.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, Becerra filed charges against Jing Chiang Huang, Shu Mei Lin, Shao Lee, Peihsin Lee, Pengcheng Cai, and Dafeng Wen for their alleged involvement in a statewide organized crime ring engaged in sex trafficking, tax fraud, and money laundering. Five suspects were sentenced in March 2022.^[35]

Becerra brought fourteen felony charges against Center for Medical Progress activists for recording fourteen videos (see Planned Parenthood 2015 undercover videos controversy), and one felony charge for conspiring to invade privacy, on March 28, 2017.^[36] The charges were dismissed by a California Superior Court judge in June for not stating the names of those recorded and the specific dates of the recordings;^[37] the charges were refiled with the names and dates in July 2017.^[38]

In 2019, Becerra threatened "legal action" against reporters who had received records of California law enforcement officers who had been convicted of crimes during the past decade.^[39]

In December 2020, Becerra was faulted by state district attorneys for not taking leadership to help stop unemployment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, in what was described as the "biggest taxpayer fraud in California history".^[40] In January 2021, investigators said the total fraud was over $11 billion, with $19 billion in claims still under investigation.^[41][42][43] Most of this money will likely never be recovered, prosecutors said.^[40][44][45]

In November 2019, Becerra led a coalition of 21 attorneys general to defend DACA against the Trump Administration's attempt to terminate it.^{[citation needed]} The Court found that the administration's actions to end DACA were unlawful.^[46]

Becerra led the multi-state lawsuit to preserve the ACA's protections for people with pre-existing conditions and medicaid expansion. The Supreme Court upheld the law.^[47][48]

In February 2019, Becerra, Governor Gavin Newsom, and 15 other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the president's declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall at the southern U.S. border.^[49]

The Trump administration opened 1 million acres in California to fracking and drilling in December 2019.^[50] Under this policy, the Bureau of Land Management proposed new lease sales for oil and gas extraction along "California's Central Valley and Central Coast, touching eight counties and including 400,000 acres of public land".^[51] California officials and agencies, including Becerra, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management in January 2020.^[52][51]

On December 9, 2020, Becerra's office had joined 47 other states and the Federal Trade Commission in an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook.^[53][54]

The New York Times reported in early December 2020 that Biden would nominate Becerra to be secretary of health and human services.^[55] His nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department has been criticized by pro-life and conservative leaders led by Students for Life of America, citing his "absence of health care experience and his disregard for people of faith".^[56][57] Becerra's nomination was deadlocked by the Senate's Finance Committee on March 10, 2021.^[58] One day later, on March 11, 2021, Becerra's nomination was discharged from the Finance Committee by the entire Senate, in a vote of 51–48.^[59] He was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 50–49 on March 18, 2021, with all but one Democrat present and one Republican, Susan Collins, voting in favor.^[60][61] This was the narrowest vote for any of Biden's cabinet positions. On March 22, 2021, Becerra was sworn in to be the new secretary.^[62]

Soon after officially becoming the secretary of health and human services, Becerra released a statement praising the Affordable Care Act and encouraging people to keep enrolling in its health care program.^[63]

Becerra is credited for his efforts to preserve reproductive rights^[64] across the country,^[65] to expand Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage for more than half the states in the nation,^[66] He has consistently cited curbing health care costs, advancing women's health, and tackling gaps in who has access to health care as big priorities.^[67][68]

Becerra helped reduce prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries by allowing direct price negotiations for high-cost medications under the Inflation Reduction Act.

In 2023, Becerra and HHS finalized negotiations for 10 high-cost drugs, including Eliquis, Jardiance, and Xarelto, achieving discounts of 38% to 79%. These lower prices, effective in 2026, would have saved Medicare $6 billion in 2023 alone.^[69] Later, Becerra announced 15 additional drugs for negotiation in 2025, with reduced prices set to take effect in 2027. These medications, including Ozempic, Ibrance, and Vraylar, account for $41 billion in annual Medicare Part D spending and treat conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma.^[70]

Becerra has overseen one of the biggest reform efforts of sub-agencies in HHS's history, including at the Food and Drug Administration^[71] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.^[72]

Becerra has been criticized as health and human services secretary for being absent in the public eye during the pandemic, for confusing messaging by federal public health authorities and for the subsequent loss of public trust, and for his collaborative management style while serving as secretary; his defenders said he was given an unclear role as secretary.^[73] Becerra was similarly criticized following his agency's response to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak amid issues with health policy communication and what was widely considered a slow response; White House officials said that Becerra sought to scapegoat the states rather than take responsibility for the subpar response.^[74]

In 2023, Becerra rejected cancer patients’ petition to use a law which allows HHS regulators to rescind exclusive patent protections for government-developed drugs making them more available to the generic market.^[75]

Becerra ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He finished with 6% of the primary vote.^[76]

In 2008, Becerra was considered for the position of U.S. trade representative in the administration of President-elect Obama.^[77] While it was reported that he had already accepted,^[78] he announced on December 15 that he would not accept the position.^[79]

Becerra was on the shortlist of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for the vice presidential nomination in 2016.^[76][80] Senator Tim Kaine was eventually chosen.

In August 2020, California senator Kamala Harris was selected by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. After Biden ultimately won the general election, Becerra was floated as a possible replacement for Harris, along with others such as Representative Karen Bass, Representative Barbara Lee, Secretary of State Alex Padilla (who was eventually chosen), and former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís.^[81][82][83]

In the 2026 California gubernatorial election, incumbent governor Gavin Newsom will be ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits. In February 2024, Politico reported that Becerra was considering a run for governor, and that he or affiliated individuals had approached a political consulting firm to that effect, a potential violation of the Hatch Act.^[84][85] On April 2, 2025, Becerra declared his candidacy for the election.^[84]

Becerra is married to physician Carolina Reyes, and they have three daughters.^[86] He is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, based in Washington, D.C.^[87] Becerra is Roman Catholic.^[88]

In 2025, Politico reported on a scheme in which Becerra's closest aides, including his chief of staff, had siphoned money from his campaign accounts for years. The total amount was reported to be $225,000 over two years. Although Becerra was not accused of wrongdoing, Politico reported that he was facing scrutiny as to how he had not known about the situation until federal investigators approached him.^[89] Becerra had previously faced criticism for suspected campaign finance violations - in 2024, it had been reported that he was paying $10,000 a month for campaign reporting from a dormant state account, an apparent Hatch Act violation. Becerra stated that the expenditures were for account maintenance, which political experts stated to be "a very high cost to pay."^[89]

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in California
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress

• Campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Join California Xavier Becerra