U s ambassadorial nominee eric garcetti nears final hurdle before confirmation

U s ambassadorial nominee eric garcetti nears final hurdle before confirmation

The confirmation of U.S. Ambassadorial nominee to India, Eric Garcetti, into its final stages on Tuesday, with the U.S. Senate scheduled to consider a “cloture motion”, the final step before a full Senate vote that would allow him to take up his assignment in New Delhi.

The vote will come just three months before a proposed state visit to the U.S. by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. If he clears the cloture motion and the Senate vote, expected later on Wednesday, Mr. Garcetti would have his task cut out for him from the moment he arrives in India.

Ahead of the cloture motion, that would, if passed, block all further attempts by the U.S. Opposition to reopen the allegations against him and other “filibuster” attempts, Mr. Garcetti faced another round of criticism over his previous record as the Mayor of Los Angeles.

China links

Amid a series of allegations that he did not prevent his chief aide, Rick Jacobs, from sexually harassing a number of employees, came a new allegation, carried by right-wing news portal Daily Caller, that Mr. Garcetti had close links with Chinese officials believed to be involved in “influence operations”, including those belonging to the Chinese Communist Party’s “United Front Works Department” (UFWD).

In 2021, after investigations about the UFWD projects in India, the Union Home Ministry had put them in the “Prior Reference Category”, banning funding by the organisation.

On Monday night, leading CNN TV network anchor Jake Tapper also broadcast an interview with Mr. Garcetti’s former Communications Director Naomi Seligman.

Ms. Seligman accused Mr. Garcetti of inaction over Mr. Jacobs’ alleged abusive behaviour, and said she had testified against Mr. Garcetti being posted to India, during the U.S. Senate investigation on the matter, and called him “unfit” to lead the embassy and consulates in India, which employ about 2,000 personnel .

The allegations have held up Mr. Garcetti’s posting since July 2021, when he was first nominated by U.S. President Joseph Biden, and although he was cleared by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in January 2022, his confirmation vote was never brought to the Senate, and subsequently lapsed.

In January 2023, Mr. Biden renominated Mr. Garcetti, after the Democrats won a 51-49 lead in the Senate.

U.S. officials say they are hopeful of clearing the vote in the Senate this time around. However, given the deep political differences over Mr. Garcetti’s nomination, they will need to ensure every ruling party Senator votes for Mr. Garcetti.

While both the External Affairs Ministry and the U.S. State Department officials have stressed that the absence of a U.S. Ambassador has not hampered bilateral relations, this is the longest such period without an American Ambassador in New Delhi. Former Ambassador Kenneth Juster resigned in January 2021.