Garcetti’s long-stale Indian ambassador nomination faces Senate

Washington – The long-stalled nomination of former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India was announced on Wednesday amid questions about support from his own party and the impact of a sexual harassment scandal involving the former top executive. Faced a breakout vote in the Senate. Advisor.

Since President Joe Biden first nominated him in July 2021, Democrat Garcetti’s nomination for a prominent diplomatic post has stalled in the Senate for 20 months.

The vacancy of the ambassador has left the administration with a significant diplomatic gap at a time of heightened global tensions, including China’s increasingly aggressive presence in the Pacific and Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The nomination was inundated with questions about what the former mayor knew and when he knew about allegations of sexual harassment against his friend and once-close adviser Rick Jacobs. The lawsuit alleges that Jacobs frequently harassed one of the mayor’s police bodyguards at the time, but Garcetti ignored or laughed at the abuse.

Garcetti has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Wednesday’s vote tested Democrats’ loyalty to Biden and also measured Garcetti’s assessment of judgment and credibility stemming from the city hall allegations.

“I think we can find someone to do a better job,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio.

Garcetti also failed to beat Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly.

Although the Democratic Party’s support had been cut off, Garcetti’s nomination could still be rescued by crossover support from the Republican Party.

Maine Senator Susan Collins said: He clearly has a vast amount of expertise on India. India has been without an ambassador for two years, which is too long. And I will support him. ”

Senator Todd Young of Indiana, who supported Garcetti in the committee vote, said he would also vote in favor.

“Having an ambassador in India immediately is a national security imperative. We cannot afford to wait any longer,” Young said.

Rachel Rizzo, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said she was frustrated by the lack of an ambassador during a recent visit to India. Stated.

“This really shows the internal dysfunction of the U.S. Congress at this time, making it very difficult for us to send the message we are trying to send to our diplomatic partners when they don’t seem to have a home for us. in order,” she said.

“I think it’s been a problem for the last few years.”

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Contributed by Associated Press writers Sung Min Kim, Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Flecking, and Stephen Groves.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2023/03/15/garcettis-long-stalled-india-envoy-nomination-faces-senate/ Garcetti’s long-stale Indian ambassador nomination faces Senate

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