The nation's top health official has been a background player for much of his tenure. He says that's about to change.

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The nation's top health official has been a background player for much of his tenure. He says that's about to change. — Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra speaks during a World AIDS Day commemoration in the East Room of the White House in Washington on December 1, 2021.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

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By Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN

Stung by accusations that he's been absent during a once-in-a-century public health crisis, Xavier Becerra -- the country's top health official -- tells CNN he's looking to step into a bigger public role as part of a reset a year into dealing with the dominant issue in his portfolio.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report.