Kelly Hayes
Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are facing scrutiny from a group of Florida physicians for voting no in the confirmation hearing of President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra.
Becerra, who was confirmed by the Senate in a near party-line vote Thursday, will be the first Latino to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Rubio and Scott joined most other Senate Republicans voting against his historic confirmation — leading to criticism from physician groups, including Dr. Bernard Ashby, Miami cardiologist and Florida State Lead for the Committee to Protect Medicare.
“As a physician and person of color, I have no doubt that Secretary Becerra will protect healthcare and work toward more equitable health outcomes for all Floridians and Americans — which Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott voted against,” Ashby said in a statement. “While we continue to navigate a pandemic that has disproportionately harmed our Black and brown neighbors, Becerra will continue to take it seriously, as he has all along, and make sure doctors and nurses have the resources and tools we need to help save more lives.”
Becerra has served as California’s attorney general since 2017, and sued the Trump administration 124 times on a range of policy issues. Before that he represented a Los Angeles-area district in the U.S. House for 24 years.
“His experiences as California Attorney General and a longtime lawmaker make him more than skilled enough to navigate our healthcare system, and his track record on healthcare makes me confident that he’ll make the system work for the people,” Ashby said. “With over 500,000 Americans already dead from COVID-19, Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott should have voted to confirm Secretary Becerra to the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Senate Republicans dismissed Becerra as unfit for the position, but the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association supported his nomination, according to The Associated Press.
“His leadership will be tested early as he arrives amid a pandemic and challenges to the Affordable Care Act,” AMA President Dr. Susan Bailey said in a statement. “The AMA believes he is the right person for the job and looks forward to working with him to ensure that all Americans have access to quality health care during this perilous time.”
4 comments
Florida Voice for the Unborn
March 21, 2021 at 1:28 pm
Senators Rubio and Scott should be commended – not condemned – for their correct vote against Xavier Becerra’s nomination for HHS Secretary. Becerra is a rabid abortion activist. As the California Attorney General, Becerra carried water for the grisly abortion industry by, among other things, attacking other states’ pro-life laws through court-filed amicus briefs. In a letter dated February 18, 2021, Florida Voice for the Unborn’s executive director joined with more than 60 other national and state pro-life leaders in calling upon the U.S. Senate to reject the nomination of radical pro-abort zealot Becerra. Per this letter:
“Mr. Becerra is an enemy to every pro-life policy and law and has demonstrated complete disregard for the religious and moral convictions of those opposed to the brutal act of abortion. His radical record in public office as California’s Attorney General and member of Congress leads our organizations to ask you to reject Mr. Becerra’s nomination.”
Shame on Dr. Bernard Ashby and his cohorts at the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association for supporting such an evil man as Becerra!
Sonja Fitch
March 22, 2021 at 5:45 am
Little Marco and Nazi Rick are trying to outdo the meanest and most hateful things to serve and protect all Americans! These two rich white men are running for President! All Americans shall be served and protected! Not buying the life of the unborn as the ONLY and ULTIMATE reason for protecting all humans! If that is your reason ,the simplest answer is to cut off the penis of any and all men that have unprotected sex! Vote Democrat up and down ballot for the elections in 2022!
C. L. Marot
March 23, 2021 at 6:27 pm
.Ms. Fitch, whose argumention is really not to the pont, should remember that those little children are also Americans with their own rights. If we want to be treated well then we should treat others well also. Or we all shall be open to extermination.
Rob
March 24, 2021 at 11:43 am
I’m convinced Fitch is a troll account.
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