The United States Senate, on March 15, confirmed Eric Garcetti to be the U.S. ambassador to India, by a vote of 52 to 42. The important development comes after almost two years of the top diplomatic post being vacant.
Reacting to the confirmation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “The United States-India relationship is extremely important and it's a very good thing we now have an Ambassador.”
According to reports, three Democrats voted against Garcetti but he managed to gain a handful of Republican votes resulting in his confirmation on the senate floor.
The former Los Angeles Mayor was first nominated to the New Delhi-based post by President Biden in July 2021. However, his nomination was met with criticism after allegations that he mishandled workplace misconduct surfaced.
“As the longest-serving Indian American Member of Congress and Ranking Member of the @HouseForeign Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, I look forward to working with Ambassador Garcetti to continue advancing a robust and growing U.S.-India partnership,” Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) said on Twitter.
