Manchin, Collins to vote for Becerra as Biden’s HHS secretary after Tories try to sink the nomination

Senses Joe Manchin and Susan Collins said Thursday they plan to vote for Xavier Becerra as President Biden’s health and human services secretary, which is likely to provide the new administration with another cabinet member.

The support of Manchin and Collins, two crucial decisive votes, almost certainly gives Democrats the backing needed to confirm Becerra after the Senate Finance Committee’s deadlock earlier this week over whether to advance Biden’s candidate to the position. head of the health agency.

“While Attorney General Xavier Becerra and I have very different records on issues like abortion and the Second Amendment, he affirmed to me his dedication to working with members on both sides of the aisle to deal with the issues. impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the many needs of our nation in a bipartisan way, ”Manchin, a moderate Democrat, said in a statement.

BIDEN HHS PICK BECERRA “LOOKING” TO WORK IN “GOOD FAITH” WITH THE REPUBLICANS, IF THE DEMOCRATS ARE CONFIRMED

Becerra, now California’s attorney general, has drawn fire from Republicans for his record on abortion rights, guns and immigration, as well as for his support for Medicare-for-all. Conservative groups have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars buying ads in Arizona and West Virginia, the home state of Manchin, trying to pressure moderate Democrats not to support Becerra.

Collins, R-Maine, announced she would back Becerra shortly after Manchin made his statement.

“While there are issues that I strongly disagree with Mr Becerra on, I think he deserves confirmation as secretary of HHS,” she said. “I look forward to working with the Department to achieve bipartisan results on behalf of the American people.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Democrats for moving forward with Becerra’s nomination, noting that Biden’s other Cabinet candidates have so far all garnered some bipartisan support.

Democrats had to put forward a motion to offload Becerra’s nomination from the committee and hold an additional four hours of debate, then a vote on whether to bring her to the floor on Thursday. Once he’s nominated on the floor, Democrats only need a simple majority – with Vice President Kamala Harris casting a tie vote – to move forward.

SLAM BIDEN’S PICK BECERRA REPUBLICS AS ‘CALIFORNIA DISASTER’

“There’s a reason Mr. Becerra couldn’t get a single Republican vote to get out of the committee,” McConnell said. “That’s because he’s such a deeply partisan actor with so little subject matter expertise and such a history of hostility to core values ​​like freedom of conscience. Nothing in Mr. Becerra in Congress or California doesn’t allow him to suggest that he is. The best possible person to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in the midst of a once-in-a-generation viral pandemic. “

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, DN.Y., on Wednesday invoked a rule to force Becerra’s appointment out of the committee. Under the rule, the Senate will hold a four-hour debate and then a vote on Thursday on whether to bring Becerra’s nomination to the floor, where Democrats will only need a simple majority to go from there. ‘before.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

If confirmed, Becerra will become the first Latino in the country to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.