The United States Senate held a vote on Wednesday to confirm Eric Garcetti as the United States Ambassador to India, ending a void in an important diplomatic position that had existed for the previous two years. Garcetti is a close aide to President Joe Biden.
By a decision of 52 to 42, the Senate decided to move forward with the nomination of the former mayor of Los Angeles, which brings an end to several months of inactivity for Garcetti.
Since July 2021, when he was first put forward by Vice President Biden for the distinguished diplomatic position, the former mayor’s nomination has been pending before the United States Congress. Since the position was last filled, it has been open for over two years.
During the most recent session of Congress, the appointment of Mr. Garcetti was never put up for a vote in the Senate because the majority Democratic Party did not have sufficient support to push him through.
The senator, who is 52 years old, did not receive confirmation from the Senate during President Biden’s first two years in office because some lawmakers were concerned that the then-mayor had not effectively handled allegations of sexual assault and harassment made against a former senior adviser.
In January of this year, President Biden made a second nomination of Garcetti to the same position.
After the new administration in the United States took office in January 2021, Kenneth Juster, the most recent US ambassador to India, announced his resignation.
