Garcetti confirmed as ambassador to India

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Eric Garcetti as U.S. ambassador to India, more than a year and a half after President Biden nominated the former Los Angeles mayor to the key diplomatic post.

The Senate voted 52-42 on Wednesday afternoon to approve Garcetti’s nomination, which had been stalled for months over allegations that he did not properly handle accusations of sexual harassment made against one of his former staffers.

Earlier Wednesday, there had been some uncertainty even among Democrats over whether Garcetti would have the support needed to clear a procedural vote. But though a few Democratic senators voted no, enough Republicans crossed party lines for Garcetti’s nomination to advance.

The Republicans who supported Garcetti were Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Bill Cassidy (La.), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Roger Marshall (Kan.) and Todd C. Young (Ind.). Democrats who opposed Garcetti were Sens. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.). Six senators did not vote.

Garcetti, a prominent Democrat who served as co-chair of Biden’s presidential campaign, was nominated for the position in July 2021. In March 2022, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-iowa) placed a hold on the nomination. Two months later, he released a report detailing multiple accusations of sexual harassment made against former Garcetti deputy chief of staff Rick Jacobs.

Garcetti has maintained he did not witness any inappropriate behavior. Jacobs called a 2020 sexual harassment lawsuit against him “a work of pure fiction” and has denied sexually harassing anyone.

Biden chose to resubmit Garcetti’s nomination to the new Senate in January, rather than select another nominee. Earlier this month, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the nomination to the full chamber in a 13-8 vote, with two Republicans voting in support.

The United States has been without an ambassador to India, the world’s largest democracy, since Biden took office.