A GOP target: HHS nominee Xavier Becerra. New ad campaigns are afoot

Conservative groups have launched advertising and grassroots campaigns in a bid to sink the nomination of Xavier Becerra for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), portraying him as too liberal and inexperienced for the job.

Heritage Action for America is backing a $600,000 ad campaign targeting Becerra, while Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion conservative group, is seeking to drum up grassroots support to pressure lawmakers to oppose Becerra’s confirmation.

The two groups are aiming to galvanize Senate Republican opposition to the former California attorney general, which would increase pressure on Democrats from red or purple states. Biden’s Cabinet nominees have thus far been confirmed with bipartisan approval.

Big hearing next week: Becerra is set to appear before the Senate Health Committee next Tuesday.

“Why would we be putting someone in charge of Health and Human Services (HHS) at such a critical time as the pandemic who doesn’t have the health care experience,” said Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, noting that previous agency leaders who were not doctors still had experience in the health care industry.