US Senate committee to vote on Garcetti nomination on Feb 28

Washington, Feb 24 (PTI) A US Senatorial committee has scheduled voting on the nomination of Eric Garcetti for the position of America’s envoy to India on February 28.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Robert Menendez has scheduled a mark up vote on Garcetti’s nomination for February 28 along with several other diplomatic nominations.

This is normally a procedural matter, given that Garcetti has been renominated by President Joe Biden this January after the last Congress failed to confirm his nomination.

However, this gains significance in view of the fact that the ruling Democratic party did not have enough votes in the last Senate to get him through.

The Democrats and the White House are now confident that they have a good chance to get Garcetti through the Senate and send him to India as soon as possible.

The position of US Ambassador to India has been pending for more than two years now; the longest period of a US ambassador not being confirmed.

Following the Senate Foreign Relations Committee mark up on February 28, his nomination would move to the Senate floor for confirmation.

In the last Congress, his nomination hit a road black in the Senate after it passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. PTI LKJ RUP