Senate confirms Eric Garcetti as US ambassador to India after 2-year delay

After a fraught two years without a full-time American ambassador in New Delhi, a central cog in Washington’s strategy to counter China, US President Joe Biden’s nominee finally secured approval in a tight vote on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

Former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, whom Biden tapped as his envoy to India in July 2021, was confirmed by a 52-42 vote after winning over seven Republicans even as three Democrats opposed him. Democrats in the Senate hold a narrow 51-49 majority.

“The United States-India relationship is extremely important, and it’s a very good thing we now have an ambassador,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. The chamber voted earlier on Wednesday by an identical 52-42 margin to limit debate on Garcetti’s nomination.

The breakthrough came just three months before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Washington. Dhruva Jaishankar, executive director of the Washington-based Observer Research Foundation America, described the development as “welcome news for an important year in India-US relations”.

With an eye on Beijing, the US has striven to deepen its cooperation with India. The two countries now collaborate on strategic initiatives such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a four-nation bloc that includes Japan and Australia and aims to counter China’s rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region.