Senator Hassan Votes to Confirm Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, voted to confirm Xavier Becerra as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. 
 

“Xavier Becerra is an experienced leader who will play a critical role in our country’s efforts to get American Rescue Plan funds out so that we can get more vaccines into arms and strengthen our response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Senator Hassan said. “I appreciated the opportunity to question Mr. Becerra during his confirmation hearing, where he discussed the work ahead on the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other pressing public health concerns including the substance use disorder crisis. I also received his commitment to move forward in implementing efforts that Senator Cassidy and I worked on across the aisle to help end the practice of surprise medical billing. I look forward to working with Mr. Becerra and bipartisan Members of Congress to strengthen public health and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Granite Staters and Americans.”

Senator Hassan is working across the aisle to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and improve health care for all Americans. The American Rescue Plan that was recently signed into law includes $160 billion to support public health, and also includes a fix pushed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Hassan to address a vaccine funding allocation shortfall for New Hampshire. It also will lower premium payments for many Americans purchasing health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

Senators Hassan and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) recently led successful efforts to include a provision in the year-end package that was signed into law to help end the absurd practice of surprise medical billing. Additionally, in 2019, President Trump signed into law bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Hassan and Cassidy to close a loophole in the Medicaid rebate program that results in big pharmaceutical companies overcharging taxpayers. The bipartisan legislation will save taxpayers approximately $3.1 billion over the next 10 years.

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