White House officials are growing concerned with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra's performance, so much so that they are pondering his replacement — although political considerations have blocked any concrete plans, The Washington Post reported Jan. 31.
Top officials have come under fire recently for a series of communication errors and confusing public health messaging, turning up the pressure on the Biden administration pandemic strategy. Interviews with 28 top White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity voiced concerns with Mr. Becerra's lack of leadership and passive role. On Jan. 26, one critic told The Hill that Mr. Becerra is an "invisible secretary."
However, informal conversations about replacing the secretary are not likely to effect change given potential political pushback from the congressional Hispanic Caucus, the issue of the divided Senate and President Biden's aversion to firing staffers, according to the report.
The White House and HHS officials denied any tensions, telling the Post, "Since day 1, the administration has managed a strong, coordinated COVID-19 response thanks to Secretary Becerra and HHS officials at every level of government."