KQED: “Xavier Becerra Backpedals on Single Payer as He Woos Powerful Doctors’ Lobby”

In private meeting with powerful lobbyists, Becerra caves to corporate interests, reverses support for a single-payer healthcare system 

“He said very clearly that, at this point, he wasn’t supportive of single payer.”

SAN FRANCISCO — KQED just published news of Xavier Becerra’s stunning reversal on providing Californians with affordable healthcare through a single-payer system, after meeting with “one of the most influential medical lobbies in California” that has long fought against a single payer system in the state – and recently announced support for Becerra. 

“Becerra told the doctors that now was not the time for single payer,” KQED reported. 

Throughout Becerra’s 36 years as a career politician, he has a history of taking money from special interest groups – such as Big Pharma, Big Oil, the utility monopolies, realtors, law enforcement – and then doing their bidding, keeping costs high for California families. 

“Xavier Becerra says one thing to voters, and another thing to lobbyists,” said Tom Steyer. “I’m the only candidate for governor who will actually deliver single-payer healthcare.”

Becerra’s campaign is being supported by a coalition of special interests opposed to single-payer healthcare. More than $21 million has been spent on efforts to distort Tom Steyer’s record so far. 

Excerpts from KQED’s reporting are below and the full piece can be found here. 

Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra has softened his support for a single-payer healthcare system as he secures endorsements in his bid to be California’s next governor, most recently from the powerful doctors’ group, the California Medical Association, which officially backed him this week.

The former health secretary under President Joe Biden has advocated for government-run healthcare since he was a congressman thirty years ago. But when doctors with the medical association peppered the candidate with questions on single payer during a recent private meeting, they said Becerra told them he had other priorities.

“He said very clearly that, at this point, he wasn’t supportive of single payer,” said Dr. René Bravo, president of the California Medical Association

The trade group for doctors is one of the most influential medical lobbies in California and has long opposed efforts to establish a single-payer system in the state, arguing it is not economically feasible and would erode physician autonomy. 

California lawmakers failed multiple times to pass legislation in support of single-payer in recent years. 

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Becerra’s campaign website links to a video of him testifying before Congress in 1994 in support of a single-payer plan, proclaiming, “healthcare is a right, not a privilege.”

On March 23, 2026, the anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Becerra wrote in a social media post: “I proudly helped write it, pass it, and defend it in court. Now I’m ready to go further as Governor and deliver single-payer health care for our state.”

But more recently, his message was significantly subdued.

Read the full piece here. 

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