A key senatorial committee on Wednesday voted 13-8 to advance the nomination of Eric Garcetti as US Ambassador to India.
Garcetti, 52, is the former mayor of Los Angeles and his nomination has been pending before the US Congress since July 2021, when he was nominated for this prestigious diplomatic posting by President Joe Biden.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee at its business meeting on Wednesday voted 13-8 in favor of the nomination of Garcetti. Now the nomination heads to the Senate floor for a full vote.
Two Republican Senators — Todd Young and Bill Hagerty — Wednesday afternoon voted in favour of Garcetti, joining the Democratic lawmakers and passing the nomination through the Senatorial committee.
Garcetti wasn’t confirmed in Biden’s first two years in office amid concerns by some lawmakers that as the then-mayor he hadn’t adequately handled allegations against a former senior adviser of sexual assault and harassment. Senator Chuck Grassley this week called for voting against him.
GOP Senator Young defended his decision to vote in favour of Garcetti.
“It’s in our national security interest to have an ambassador immediately in place in India in order to balance China, work with the US throughout the Indo-Pacific…He has an imperfect resume, but the skills to succeed in this capacity,” Young said.
