According to Politico, three people with knowledge of the matter indicated that “President-elect” Biden may nominate 67-year-old retired four-star General Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, and that Austin may become the first African-American to lead the Pentagon.
In addition, on December 7, Biden announced the appointment of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, making him the first Latino ever to head the department, according to The Hill.
Both appointments are in line with Biden’s commitment to a “diverse” government, but they are surprisingly controversial in the country.
Who are they? What was the controversy over the two personnel decisions? What challenges will they face in their appointment and induction? The “outsider” will show you who they are.
Who are they?
Austin: The First African American General to Command the U.S. Army in Action
Lloyd Austin was born in 1953 and is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Austin has served as Commander of U.S. Central Command, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, and Commander of Operation New Dawn in Iraq. Austin was not only the first African-American general to command the U.S. Army, but also the first African-American general to oversee an entire theater of operations.
After retiring in 2016, Austin joined Raytheon Technologies, one of the Pentagon’s largest munitions contractors. He also sits on the boards of Nucor, the nation’s largest steel producer, and Tenet, a healthcare company.
Biden chose to retire four-star general Lloyd Austin to lead the Pentagon.
According to Politico, Biden and Austin met during the Obama administration’s order to withdraw troops from Iraq, with Biden, then vice president, leading the formulation of Iraq policy and Austin being the last general to command U.S. forces in the country. According to sources, Biden may announce the appointment on the morning of December 8, local time.
The New York Times commented that Austin, who is good at military combat but less politically sensitive, had fumbled a congressional hearing in 2015 in which he admitted that the Defense Department’s plan to allocate $500 million to recruit Syrian militants was going nowhere.
On December 7, 2012, Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson, a close Biden ally, told Politico that “General Austin’s military credentials are impeccable, and he would make an excellent Secretary of Defense”.
Becerra: First Latino California Attorney General
According to The Hill, on December 7, Biden announced the appointments to his health team, with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra named Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Rochelle Varensky as Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Anthony Fauci to continue as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Biden named California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Xavier Becerra is 62 years old and a graduate of Stanford University, according to The New York Times. He has served in Congress on behalf of Los Angeles. During his time in Congress, he was the first Latino member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Becerra was a senior member of the Health Subcommittee.In 2017, Becerra became California’s attorney general, the first Latino to hold the position. According to CNN, Becerra has been a vocal opponent of Trump, and during his tenure as attorney general, he has filed more than 100 lawsuits against Trump and his policies, with more than half of those cases related to environmental policies.
According to CNN, Becerra’s most notable achievement in the health care arena was leading a group of Democratic prosecutors who defended the Affordable Care Act in court.
What controversy has surrounded both appointments?
Divided over the choice of Defense Minister
Previously, the most vociferous candidate for the position of Secretary of Defense was Michele Flournoy, who several U.S. media believed might become the first woman to lead the Pentagon. Two weeks ago, however, she did not appear in the first appearance of a key member of Biden’s national security team.
Politico notes that in recent weeks, Biden has come under increasing pressure to nominate an African American for the position of Secretary of Defense.
However, the news of Austin’s nomination has been met with opposition from some national security experts. They argued that under the leadership of a retired general, it might be difficult to strike a balance between civilian and military forces in the Pentagon.
Rosa Brooks, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center and former Pentagon official, tweeted, “This may be a bad idea from a civil-military relations standpoint. Brooks also published an op-ed in the New York Times calling for the selection of a woman as Secretary of Defense.
U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, supports Flournoy as Secretary of Defense.
Last week, Maryland Democrat Congressman Anthony Brown and Texas Democrat Congressman Mark Veasey wrote directly to Biden to express their support for Flournoy, praising Flournoy’s “tireless advocacy for a diverse and inclusive national security. U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also stood up for Flournoy, saying, “I’ve spoken with the Biden team, and (I think) Flournoy is the best person for the job of Secretary of Defense, and while that doesn’t mean she’s the only person for the job, there’s no question that she’s unique.
Qualifications Questioned
According to the New York Times, Becerra, who has a strong record in criminal justice and immigration policy, has been seen as a strong candidate for Attorney General, and a Politico analysis indicates that unlike other candidates for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra has no prior experience in health care policy and no experience in government agency management. This may lead the public to question his ability to lead the United States in responding effectively to the neo-crown epidemic and in distributing vaccines fairly and rationally.
Many medical experts were also surprised by Biden’s decision to make the appointment. One source said that he was “very shocked” by Becerra’s appointment. According to The New York Times, medical experts had been urging the Biden team to appoint officials with medical careers or public health expertise to leadership positions in the health department.
Last week, five major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians, signed a letter to Biden calling for the appointment of qualified medical experts to positions that are critical to advancing health care in the United States.
The letter also notes that Mr. Becerra is an experienced legislator who may be able to help Biden press for legislative reform. But the medical community still prefers an official with a medical background to fill the position.
Politico’s analysis suggests that Biden may have appointed Becerra to ease tensions between Biden’s team and the Latino community. After news of Becerra’s appointment broke, Latino lobby groups welcomed the appointment, saying, “We are extremely excited and proud that the son of a Mexican immigrant will be responsible not only for the neo-crowning epidemic, but also for broader health care issues. The Congressional Hispanic Congressional Delegation (CHC) also encouraged Biden to appoint five Latinos to key Cabinet positions.
The advocacy group Protect Our Care tweeted in support of Becerra’s appointment.
In addition, supporters of the Affordable Care Act praised Biden’s choice, with the advocacy group Protect Our Care stating, “He (Becerra) is qualified and capable of delivering Biden’s health care plan, improving the quality of care, lowering prescription drug prices, increasing health insurance coverage and taking steps to control the neo-crowning epidemic.
What challenges will they face?
Congressional waivers required for defense appointments
According to CNN, under the U.S. National Security Act of 1947, the Secretary of Defense must not have been a member of any active-duty U.S. military unit for at least seven years. Austin retired from active military duty only four years ago. For Austin to be successful in his job, he needs Congress to pass a waiver.
According to a Defense News Weekly analysis, Austin’s prospects for securing a congressional waiver are not good. Only two ministerial nominees have been granted waivers in the last century. According to Politico, Trump also sought a waiver for his first Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, and although Mattis was eventually successful in obtaining one, a number of members of Congress voted against it.
Rosa Brooks points out that if Austin is waived again after Mattis, the seven-year waiting period would not be necessary to set.
Given the Trump administration’s over-reliance on former military officers in civilian positions and the public’s ongoing concerns about civil-military relations, Biden may have a hard time garnering enough votes for Austin, according to Defense News Weekly.
A member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) stated, “Exempting a law shouldn’t happen more than once in a generation. Therefore, I will not support the approval of the waiver for this nomination, nor will I support any effort to weaken or repeal the statute in the future.” Other members of Congress have said they would carefully consider whether to give a retired general another chance to lead the Pentagon.
Becerra to face epidemic challenges
According to the New York Times, Becerra will face the daunting task of leading the fight against the epidemic once she takes office. The New Crown epidemic has killed more than 280,000 people in the U.S., with more serious infections and deaths among people of color.
The Associated Press notes that the U.S. is expected to begin distributing the vaccine in the coming months, and few cabinet positions have had as dramatic an impact on the U.S. response as the health secretary. Becerra’s ability to do the job well will have a direct impact on the public’s opinion of Biden’s presidency.
One of Becerra’s biggest challenges: vaccinating Americans against the virus.
According to National Public Radio (NPR), the Trump administration has previously taken a variety of steps to weaken the Affordable Care Act. Becerra, who has been a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act, is likely to try to fix it through Congress once he takes office.
On Dec. 7, local time, Becerra tweeted that he had helped pass the Affordable Care Act in Congress and had defended it as well. Now, as Secretary of Health and Human Services, he will build on that foundation to ensure that every American has access to quality, affordable health care. NPR notes that Becerra’s efforts on the Affordable Care Act are actually very limited.
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