WASHINGTON – He served in the California Legislature, Congress, and most recently in the Cabinet as President Biden's Secretary of Health and Human Services.
And don't forget his time as California attorney general, a post once also held by Vice President Kamala Harris and a stepping stone to higher office.
So what’s next for Xavier Becerra?
According to Becerra's allies, who requested anonymity to discuss his plans candidly, he is “strongly considering” a run for governor and is already exploring the possibility with members of the state's congressional delegation, the donor class and potential supporters .
Becerra demurred last week when asked about his plans just days after leaving his federal post.
“I’m in the process of moving back to California,” he said. “I have a lot to think about, including seeing more of my family.”
In an earlier interview conducted in the formal conference room outside his HHS office, Becerra reflected on his tenure in the Biden administration leading a 95,000-person team. It was just three days before President Trump's inauguration when employees took down nameplates from nearby doors.
“Looking back, it was a momentous four years,” said Becerra, 66. “I think most people would tell you that we accomplished our mission. We were very focused. We acquired the company at a time of very difficult circumstances. We climbed our way out.”
When asked what his first priorities were when he took the oath of office in March 2021, Becerra replied: “COVID. COVID. COVID. There was nothing else.”
Among the administration's greatest achievements, he said, was administering 700 million COVID vaccinations to Americans, and people could get vaccinated virtually anywhere — from large distribution centers to barbershops to pharmacies. “We realized we had to get to where the people were,” he said.
He also pointed to providing access to health care to more than 300 million people, with 46 million Americans receiving health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. He also announced the launch of the 988 hotline, which provides 24-hour suicide and crisis counseling.
“We have never seen a government take such direct and decisive action on mental health — to the point where resources can no longer be balanced,” Becerra said. “It is historically the largest investment in mental health.”
Asked whether he was concerned that the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Senate and House could roll back those gains, he said his office has worked to protect them.
For example, Becerra, who was the first Health and Human Services secretary to visit a Planned Parenthood clinic, pointed to the government's work in reproductive care, such as the Supreme Court lawsuit to block access to mifepristone, one of two drugs that are medically available be used to protect termination of pregnancy.
“We definitely played strong defense,” he said.
He also said he was optimistic now that Americans are now more familiar with the protections they received under the Affordable Care Act, such as coverage for pre-existing conditions, which will make it politically more difficult for Republicans to achieve policy goals like to achieve the repeal of Obamacare.
“Too many people know now. They didn't know it before. Today they know what they have,” Becerra said. “You could be complacent. You don't have to worry because now you have your care. But in November or December, when the typical scenario plays out in Congress where there's a budget debate and the tax credits are about to expire, I think people are going to stand up and say, 'Wait a minute, my health care.'”
Under Biden, the ACA enrollment period had been extended in most states — a factor that contributed to the program's growth — but just days after Becerra's interview, Trump signed an executive order ending that extension.
I am the son of immigrants. So optimism is in my DNA
—Xavier Becerra
Although Becerra's would-be successor, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and other members of Trump's circle are openly skeptical of or opposed to prevailing scientific theories and practices, Becerra said he believes science and facts will ultimately prevail.
“I am the son of immigrants. So optimism is in my DNA,” Becerra said.
Now that his term is over, he's looking forward to returning to California and being unshaven and in jeans when he sees his family.
“I love California because of its energy. I think of California the way I think of my family: The glass is half full for us,” Becerra said, noting that he was the first in his family to attend college and that all three of his daughters attended college. “We’re still going. We are still on the rise. We haven’t seen the best days yet.”
Are these the words of a potential gubernatorial candidate? Perhaps.