US Senate panel clears Garcetti for Indian Ambassador's post

New Delhi: The foreign relations committee of the US Senate has voted in favour of former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, 52, becoming the ambassador to India. Garcetti, President Joe Biden's choice for the key post, will now face a vote on the floor of the US Senate.

The panel approved the nomination by 13-8 votes, with Republican senators Todd Young and Bill Hagerty joining all of the committee's Democrats in voting in favour of Garcetti.

"We did see the action on the part of the Senate today (Wednesday). We heartily applaud that. The US needs a confirmed ambassador in India. Our team on the ground, including Charge d' Affaires, who have served in the place of an ambassador, have done extraordinary work," said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.


Clearing Garcetti's name, the committee said that having a full-time ambassador to India was a matter of national security.

The post of the US envoy in India has been vacant for close to two years, the longest in the history of diplomatic relations. Garcetti's name had been cleared by the committee last year too, but the appointment did not go through due to allegations of sexual misconduct against some staff members in his office.

Garcetti was nominated by President Biden for the post in July 2021. But his nomination was not brought to the Senate for a vote as the ruling Democrats did not have enough support to get him through.