Xavier Becerra to succeed Kamala Harris as California’s Attorney General

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Today (December 1, 2016) Governor Jerry Brown announced he was picking 12-term U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) to succeed Kamala Harris as attorney general of California. Harris just won the election to succeed Barbara Boxer as U.S. Senator and will be sworn into that office in January.

In the governor’s statement, Brown said, “Xavier has been an outstanding public servant — in the State Legislature, the U.S. Congress and as a deputy attorney general. I’m confident he will be a champion for all Californians and help our state aggressively combat climate change.”

Current California Attorney General Kamala Harris who will become a U.S. Senator in January. (Facebook)
Current California Attorney General Kamala Harris who will become a U.S. Senator in January. (Facebook)

The statement also gave a brief CV of Becerra, “Rep. Becerra, 58, of Los Angeles, has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1992, most recently as the first Latino member of the Committee on Ways And Means, ranking member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. The congressman is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which he chaired from 1997 to 1998, and the Executive Committee of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. In 2010, Rep. Becerra served on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.”

Becerra is the Democratic Caucus Chair in Congress and issued a statement on his office website:

WASHINGTON, DC – Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) has just released the statement below.

“My job everyday as a Member of Congress is to fight for working families like the one I grew up in. As the son of immigrants, I have never let this purpose escape my work, and I’ve served to this end relentlessly.

“Over the past 24 years as a representative of California’s 34th congressional district, I have been part of some of the greatest debates confronting our nation, from opposing the Iraq war, to fighting to help Americans recover from the Great Recession, to launching the bipartisan immigration talks and helping write our nation’s health security law.

“This past year, I traveled to 15 states and more than 20 battleground districts to help fellow congressional colleagues and new Members who believe in this good fight. But California right now is ahead of the country when it comes to clean energy, commonsense treatment of immigrants, real health security and so much more.

“Governor Brown has presented me with an opportunity I cannot refuse — to serve as Attorney General of my home state. As a former deputy attorney general, I relished the chance to be our state’s chief law enforcement officer to protect consumers, advance criminal justice reform and, of course, keep our families safe.

“I have accepted Governor Brown’s nomination. I never thought as a child that I’d have the privilege to even walk through the halls of Congress, let alone travel to Washington.

“I’m eternally grateful to my family and constituents and my colleagues, from Leader Nancy Pelosi to our newest Members, whose support continues to energize me everyday.”