Washington: A politically divided U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday advanced Democrat Eric Garcetti’s nomination to become ambassador to India but it remains unclear when, or if, the former Los Angeles mayor will be confirmed.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13-8, with most Republicans opposed. The vote came about 20 months after President Joe Biden initially nominated Garcetti for the job, one of the country’s highest profile diplomatic posts.
The vacancy remains a glaring diplomatic gap for the administration at a time of rising global tensions, including China’s increasingly assertive presence in the Pacific region and Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Garcetti’s nomination cleared the committee in January 2022 but was never considered by the full Senate. Biden renominated him earlier this year and the White House has publicly defended Garcetti as a well-qualified candidate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hasn’t said when he would bring the nomination up for a vote by the full chamber, and it isn’t clear if Garcetti has sufficient support to be confirmed.
Garcetti needs a majority vote to be confirmed in the closely divided Senate.
