Biden regime pushes for Indian envoy nominee

With just two months to go in the current U.S. Congressional term, the Biden administration is redoubling efforts to ensure the nomination of Eric Garcetti is cleared by the Senate in the next few weeks, before his nomination lapses. Confirming that the U.S. still intends to send the Los Angeles Mayor and close associate of U.S. President Joseph Biden to New Delhi, the White House said the appointment remains a “priority”, especially given that it is nearly two years since the last U.S. “We continue to seek the expeditious confirmation of Mayor Garcetti — that is important to this President, a priority to this President — who was voted out of committee with strong bipartisan support to serve as Ambassador to India,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday, referring to the fact that Mr. Garcetti, who was nominated as far back as July 2021, was cleared by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January 2022. It is crucial that the U.S. administration brings Mr. Garcetti’s nomination to the Senate for confirmation as soon as the mid-term elections are over,” Mukesh Aghi, president and CEO of the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum told The Hindu during a visit to Delhi. In an interview to Los Angeles Magazine last week, Mr. Garcetti said the process has been “frustrating”, but he is “optimistic” that the confirmation will come through, especially as he will complete his term as Los Angeles mayor by December.