Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra’s budget blitz is beginning.

The nation’s top federal health official is gearing up to defend President Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget in front of two key Senate committees today and other House panels next week. He’s likely to face criticism and tough questions from Republicans who have already hammered the administration over a recent Medicare Advantage proposal, its pandemic response and the fentanyl crisis.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are likely to ask about the implementation of the health provisions of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s proposal to further reduce what Medicare pays for prescription drugs and mental health care. 

Federal health officials usually get hauled up to Capitol Hill to discuss the president’s budget, and lawmakers often capitalize on the moment to quiz them on a wide variety of health-care topics. This isn’t Becerra’s first tour: He’s been Biden’s health secretary since he was confirmed in March 2021. But this year, Biden is leaning hard into health care as he prepares to launch a reelection campaign in a matter of weeks. 

The details

On tap today: Becerra will appear before the Senate Finance Committee at 10 a.m. Then, he will testify in front of the Senate Labor HHS Appropriations subcommittee at 2:30 p.m.

The view from HHS: Becerra will “outline his vision for a healthier America,” such as expanding health coverage, bringing down the costs of medicines, beefing up behavioral health and bolstering emergency preparedness, an HHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Here’s one thing on our radar. Senate Finance Committee Republicans have been skeptical of the Biden administration’s proposed 2024 payment rates for private Medicare plans, with the industry decrying the proposal as a cut to Medicare Advantage. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a veteran member of the committee, told The Health 202 he plans to ask Becerra about its Medicare Advantage proposal released in February. The administration has fiercely defended the plan, arguing it would lead to a small bump in payments.

Meanwhile … At the Senate Labor HHS Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the chair, said in a statement that she’s looking to discuss strengthening and expanding the health-care workforce, among other topics. And Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), the subcommittee’s top Republican, is planning to bring up Alzheimer’s research and fighting the addiction crisis, though, in a statement, slammed the administration’s budget as “partisan” and “reckless.” Read Becerra’s testimony to the panel here.

Up next week: Hearings in front of the Republican-controlled House. Becerra is slated to testify in front of the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Appropriations Committee and the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee.