Xavier Becerra Confirmed as HHS Secretary

Becerra, who served as a congressman and Attorney General of California, is the first Latino HHS Secretary in history.

The Senate confirmed California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Thursday afternoon.

Becerra's nomination, which received a deeply partisan response on Capitol Hill, was approved in a 50-49 vote. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was the only Republican to support Becerra's nomination.    

Following the vote, Becerra voiced his thanks in a tweet.

"I'm honored and humbled by today's vote in the Senate," he said. "Thank you. I'm ready to get to work at @HHSgov."

Related: Healthcare Stakeholders Applaud Becerra Confirmation

The floor vote came weeks after the Senate Finance Committee deadlocked on Becerra's nomination to lead HHS and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., moved to bring his nomination to a full floor vote.

Becerra is the first Latino HHS Secretary in history and replaces Alex Azar at the helm of the nation's health department.

Related: Senate Panel Deadlocks on HHS Nominee Becerra, Schumer Must Push for Floor Vote

In his role as California Attorney General, Becerra led the defense of the Affordable Care Act in the case of California v. Texas, which was heard before the Supreme Court in November.

During the confirmation vote, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reiterated his opposition to Becerra's nomination in a tweet.

"The Administration claims their top priority is to beat this virus and end the pandemic," he said. "But their nominee to run @HHSGov is woefully unqualified. California AG Xavier Becerra is a partisan politician with no expertise in healthcare."

Related: 5 Takeaways From HHS Nominee Becerra's First Senate Confirmation Hearing