Joe Biden re-nominates Eric Garcetti as US ambassador to India

United States President Joe Biden has re-nominated Eric Garcetti as an ambassador to India, the White House said after sending the nomination to the Senate.

Garcetti, who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from July 2013 until December 2022, is a close aide of President Biden.

Issuing a statement, the White House said, "Eric M Garcetti, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of India."

Earlier, in December, White House had said that Garcetti is well-qualified to serve as the US Ambassador to India. The statement from the White House had come days after influential senator Chuck Grassley opposed Garcetti’s nomination as he faced an allegation of sexual harassment by one of his staff members. India currently chairs G20, resulting in scores of diplomatic activities between the two countries, and the Biden administration wants to have its envoy in New Delhi at the earliest.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had told reporters at that a diplomat in India is a priority. “As you know, this is a priority and continues to be a priority for us. Mayor Garcetti is well-qualified to serve in this vital role,” she had said.

According to CNN, for more than a year, Garcetti's nomination to be US ambassador to India announced in July 2021 was still in limbo. His nomination was been held up for months because of concerns among senators on both sides about allegations that he ignored alleged sexual harassment and bullying by one of his former senior political aides. Garcetti has repeatedly denied that he ignored those allegations.

Finally, in January last year, Garcetti's nomination was announced.

In November, Pierre reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment to getting through the nomination of Garcetti as ambassador.

Answering a question whether the White House will push the US Senate to finally get a vote on Garcetti's nomination, Jean-Pierre said, "Absolutely. India is a very important relationship that we have. You -- you saw the President greet and meet very briefly with Prime Minister Modi just last week when he was -- in Bali. It's an important relationship that -- that we truly respect."

"As for Mayor Garcetti, we are committed to getting him through the process. We are continuing -- to talk to the Senate about making that happen. That is a priority of ours. And I just don't have anything further to share on any strategy or anything else moving forward on that," the White House Press Secretary added.

The United States continues to seek the expeditious confirmation of the Los Angeles Mayor, as the ambassador to India, following a long delay in the confirmation of his nomination.

Last year, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed the nomination of Garcetti to be the US Ambassador to India. However, the nomination needed to be confirmed by a majority of the US Senate.

Garcetti's nomination came under a shadow after a Senate report released suggested that Garcetti had ignored a pattern of sexual harassment allegedly carried out by one of his top aides.

(With inputs from ANI)