{"id":1216962,"date":"2022-01-14T16:49:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T21:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1216962"},"modified":"2022-01-14T16:49:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T21:49:36","slug":"hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-absent-as-joe-biden-struggles-with-coronavirus-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-absent-as-joe-biden-struggles-with-coronavirus-response\/","title":{"rendered":"HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Absent as Joe Biden Struggles with Coronavirus Response"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-absent-as-joe-biden-struggles-with-coronavirus-response%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1216962&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra remains missing from President Joe Biden\u2019s attempt to fight the coronavirus pandemic even as record cases and hospitalization rates dominate across the nation.<\/p>\n<p>The Secretary has only been to the White House for events unrelated to the virus. In December, he spoke at an event on maternal health, attended Biden\u2019s remarks for World AIDS Day, and a signing ceremony during the White House Tribal Nations summit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>On December 30, Becerra made a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Iyygc3hrNKk\">rare<\/a> appearance in a video conference forum on the importance of vaccines and boosters with United States Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, but has been absent from the White House briefings on the coronavirus pandemic. He is also absent from Biden\u2019s coronavirus events at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden effort in the coronavirus fight is led by White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients with Dr. Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra appears to serve as a cheerleader for Walensky, as she heads the CDC under the purview of his cabinet position.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>The secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com\/lifestyles\/health\/hhs-secretary-pushes-back-on-criticism-of-cdc-director\/video_535b95be-caba-5baa-bcf7-17d0b6bfb6f4.html\">appeared<\/a> on CNN earlier this week to respond to critics of Walensky.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19488610\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237071228.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19488610\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237071228-1024x681-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"990\" height=\"658\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra speaks on maternal health during the White House Maternal Health Day of Action in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2021. (JIM WATSON\/AFP via Getty)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not where they fall,\u201d Becerra said, praising Walensky as an \u201cinfectious disease expert\u201d who \u201cbased her words on the science.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile we may have issues with some of the marketing that has been done,\u201d he said. \u201cI guarantee you. Dr. Walensky is someone we need at the CDC.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden and his coronavirus team continue struggling to answer questions about coronavirus testing shortages experienced over the Christmas holiday, a shortage of monoclonal antibody treatments, and a sluggish release of the coronavirus antiviral pill approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration.<\/p>\n<p>On paper, Becerra is tacitly involved, sending out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/2022\/01\/13\/statement-hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-on-supreme-court-covid-19-vaccine-decisions.html\">statement<\/a> reacting to the Supreme Court ruling on vaccine mandates, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/2022\/01\/13\/readout-hhs-secretary-becerras-bilateral-meeting-with-director-general-world-health-organization.html\">meeting<\/a> with Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and announcements about health insurance and vaccine approvals.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>But there is little evidence Becerra is involved with the ongoing battle against the pandemic.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RandPaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RandPaul<\/a> Grills Sec. Becerra for Mocking COVID Survivors Refusing the Vaccine as &#8220;Flat Earthers&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Z8ggi9GxAT\">pic.twitter.com\/Z8ggi9GxAT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreitbartNews\/status\/1444042177001234434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Republicans appear disinterested in grilling Becerra about his role in the pandemic response, although, in September, Sen. Rand Paul <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?514915-1\/education-hhs-secretaries-testify-school-reopening-covid-19-pandemic\">berated<\/a> the Secretary in a hearing for twice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courier-journal.com\/story\/news\/politics\/ky-legislature\/2021\/09\/21\/top-us-health-official-flat-earthers-hurting-covid-vaccine-rates\/5797328001\/\">describing<\/a> people who remained hesitant to get the coronavirus vaccines as \u201cflat earthers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Becerra did not apologize for the remark, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2021\/oct\/1\/rand-paul-prods-xavier-becerra-apologize-covid-19-\/\">noting<\/a> he and his cabinet relied on \u201cfacts\u201d and \u201cscience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI appreciate that everyone has their opinion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra remains missing from President Joe Biden\u2019s attempt to fight the coronavirus pandemic even as record cases and hospitalization rates dominate across the nation. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1216962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1216962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1216962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1216962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1216962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}