The Senate prepares the vote on the nomination of Eric Garcetti to be ambassador to India

Nearly two years after President Biden nominated him to be ambassador to India, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti may finally get a confirmation vote in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) set out on Thursday the process of holding a vote on Garcetti’s nomination as soon as next week, as the former mayor’s chances of confirmation are slim. more and more positive.

Since Biden nominated him in July 2021, Garcetti’s nomination has been stalled over questions about whether he should have known that a senior City Council aide was allegedly sexually harassing his colleagues.

Several Senate Republicans said they would oppose Garcetti’s nomination, and even some Democrats seemed unsure.

Garcetti’s confirmation prospects rose after the November midterms, in which Democrats increased their ranks in the Senate by one vote.

Also, with the House in the hands of the Republican Party, Senate Democrats are focusing less on legislation and more on passing nominations, including controversial ones that will consume more time on the Senate floor.

In recent months, Senate Democrats have argued that India is too important a country to continue without an ambassador.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced Garcetti’s nomination to the full Senate on Wednesday.

Two Republicans, Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, joined Democrats in favor, a good sign of Garcetti’s chances in the House.