Biden Will Appoint California Chief Prosecutor To Become US Health Minister

Joe Biden (Photo: Twitter @JoeBiden)

JAKARTA - United States President-elect Joe Biden is believed to appoint the head of the California prosecutor's office, Xavier Becerra, as the United States minister of health and humanitarian services.

Biden is likely to announce his choice on Monday, December 14.

As reported by Antara, Tuesday, December 8, Becerra, 62, is an American citizen of Latin American descent who has served as a congressman. Becerra's election is believed to be the result of pressure from the public, especially from the Caucus of Hispanic Nation, which asked Biden to place more representatives from Latinos into his cabinet.

Becerra will fill the position of health minister when the US faces a spike in positive cases of COVID-19. The death toll from COVID-19 in the US has so far passed 2,000 people per day. Becerra will also lead the health ministry when the US starts its COVID-19 vaccination. As of Monday, December 7, the total death toll from COVID-19 in the US currently reaches 281,000.

So far, a source familiar with Becerra's appointment declined to be identified because Biden has yet to announce an official decision.

Biden is believed to be announcing several names of his ministers before he officially takes office as US president on January 20, 2021. So far, Biden has announced his security adviser and several officials in economic institutions.

Biden continues to carry out various transitional activities even though President Donald Trump rejected the election results on November 3, 2020. However, dozens of lawsuits filed by Trump have been rejected by the court.

Trump's campaign team faced another blow after the head of his legal advisory team, Rudy Giuliani, tested positive for COVID-19. Guliani is currently being treated at a hospital in Washington DC, said a source familiar with the matter.

"I am well treated and feel healthy. (I) will recover as soon as possible and return to work, ”said Giuliani in his upload on Twitter, Sunday, December 6.

Becerra is known as a supporter of the Affordable Health Services Act (ACA) - one of President Barack Obama's main policies. The chief California prosecutor was instrumental in efforts to pass the ACA Act while he was a congressman. During his tenure as head of the prosecutor's office, Becerra also tried to defend the ACA Act - also known as Obamacare - from various lawsuits in court, including last month's Supreme Court.

"Biden kept his promise to form a cabinet that shows diversity," said the mayor of Long Beach, Robert Garcia. He is a close friend of Becerra and Biden.

Garcia said, Becerra has a good track record in the health sector. "I think, (the appointment of him, red) is more than that. The president-elect elects someone who has high integrity and intellectuality, ”said Garcia.

Biden is likely to choose Rochelle Walensky as the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said another source. Walensky is currently the head of infectious disease affairs at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Biden has also asked Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the Trump administration's COVID-19 task force, to remain as the president's health adviser.