Senate panel splits along party lines on Becerra

The Senate Finance Committee split evenly Wednesday on party lines in a vote on advancing Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) nominee Xavier Becerra, highlighting the GOP resistance to his nomination.

The vote means Becerra’s nomination can still go to the full Senate, but there will be an added step of Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) moving to discharge the nomination from committee, followed by an added vote in the full Senate on discharging it.

All Democrats on the committee voted for his nomination, and all Republicans voted against, on the evenly split panel.

Will any Republicans support him on the floor? It is unclear if any GOP senators will vote for his nomination in the full Senate.

Republicans have made Becerra a lightning rod for criticism, attacking him over what they say is a lack of health care experience, as well as his views on abortion and his support for “Medicare for All.”