According to two administration officials, President Joe Biden intends to renominate former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for ambassador to India and make an effort to fill other critical positions. This is one of the White House’s initial moves to try to take advantage of the Democrats’ increased Senate majority.
Following charges that while serving as mayor, Garcetti disregarded complaints of sexual harassment against one of his assistants, Garcetti’s candidacy has been held for months due to a cold reception from several senators, including some Democrats.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, one of the senators who opposed the appointment, produced an investigative report that contained those accusations. Any impropriety has been refuted by Garcetti.
The White House must decide whether to resubmit his nomination and a few others to the new Congress to begin the process after they expired at the end of the last Congress.
An administration official indicated that Biden also intended to renominate his choices for the Federal Aviation Administration, Phil Washington, and the Internal Revenue Service, Danny Werfel.
The president’s ideas were initially revealed by The Wall Street Journal.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the leader of the Foreign Relations Committee, wouldn’t say if he wanted the former mayor to be renominated when asked about Garcetti’s nomination last month.
“That’s up to the White House,” he told NBC News. “They have to make that decision.”
Menendez added that he was unsure if Garcetti had the necessary support to be confirmed.
Around the same time, Sen. Todd Young of Indiana suggested that given the challenges Garcetti confronts, it “maybe” time to select a different candidate.
“He has a very impressive portfolio as it relates to India,” Young told NBC. “He has his extensive knowledge about the country and would be well equipped in so many ways to represent the administration there. But more important than anything else is just getting someone trusted by the president in that position. Too much time has passed.”
Since Biden took office, India, a significant ally of the United States, has been without an American ambassador. Both nations are a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or “Quad,” which also consists of Australia and Japan. This year’s summit of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing countries will also be held in India.
