Eric Garcetti Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to India, Strengthening U.S.-India Relations

The U.S. Senate has confirmed former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as the next U.S. ambassador to India. The chamber voted 52 to 42 earlier in the day to break a filibuster on the nomination, advancing it to a final confirmation vote.

The vote comes more than two years into President Joe Biden’s term, and marks the first time the U.S. has had a permanent ambassador to India since then.

Garcetti’s nomination had faced pushback from some Democrats, with CNN reporting last year that a number of Senate Democrats had privately expressed concerns over the nomination. These concerns were largely due to accusations that Garcetti had ignored alleged sexual harassment and bullying by one of his former senior aides.

Despite this opposition, enough Republicans backed Garcetti to give the U.S. its first permanent ambassador to India under President Joe Biden. Garcetti was first nominated in July 2021, but had been held up in part due to the aforementioned concerns.

The confirmation of Garcetti marks a significant milestone in U.S.-India relations, and is expected to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.