Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 33rd and current Attorney General of California. He previously was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Downtown Los Angeles in Congress from 1993 to 2017. On December 6, 2020, it was reported that President-elect Joe Biden intended to nominate BecerRA to be the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

About Xavier Becerra in brief

Summary Xavier BecerraXavier Becerra (born January 26, 1958) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 33rd and current Attorney General of California since 2017. He previously was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Downtown Los Angeles in Congress from 1993 to 2017. On December 6, 2020, it was reported that President-elect Joe Biden intended to nominate BecerRA to be the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.Becerra is the son of working-class immigrants from Jalisco, Mexico. He studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain, from 1978 to 1979, before earning his B. A. in economics from Stanford University in 1980. He received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1984 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1985. He served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice under Attorney General John Van de Kamp from 1987 to 1990. He was elected to the California State Assembly, where he served one term from 1990 to 1992. In 1992, 25th district Congressman Edward Roybal announced his retirement after 30 years in Congress. In 1993, he entered the race for the seat, which had been renumbered as the 30th district after redistricting.

After redistricting, ahead of the 2012 elections, most of his old district became the 34th district. He won his bid to succeed John Larson as the Speaker of the House for the 110th Congress, defeating Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175–67. In 2011, he was appointed to serve on a bicameral conference committee to find middle-class tax solutions. During the 111th Congress he was selected to serve as Vice-Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction on August 11, 2011. In 2013, he won a second term as Chair during the 112th Congress and served on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform on March 24, 2010. He has served as Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999, Vice Chairman ofThe House Democratic Caucus from 2009 to 2013 and as a member on the Joint select committee on deficit reduction. In 2012, he defeated Republican Stephen Smith 85. 6% to 14. 4%. He was featured on The Colbert Report’s Better Know a District on August 17, 2006. He voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because he wanted to see direct protections for responsible homeowners.