Eric Garcetti’s ambassador nomination in limbo with committee vote expected next week

By Lauren Fox and Clare Foran, CNN

The nomination of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be the next ambassador to India continues to be in limbo in the US Senate with a vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee now expected to be held next week.

Sen. Bob Menendez, the chair of the Foreign Relations panel, told CNN on Tuesday that he expects to reschedule a vote for Garcetti’s nomination next week. The nomination was held over for one week out of a courtesy to Republicans this week.

CNN reported last year that concerns over the nomination have centered around a former employee in Garcetti’s mayoral office who has accused him of ignoring alleged sexual harassment and bullying by one of his former senior aides. Garcetti has repeatedly denied the allegations that he ignored the alleged harassment.

The former Los Angeles mayor’s nomination faces an uncertain future as it has continued to face headwinds, notably including from within the Democratic Party. If Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was to put the nomination on the floor, it’s not a sure thing Garcetti would get the votes to be confirmed.

Asked on Tuesday if Garcetti has the votes on the floor, Schumer said the first step is to see what happens in committee.

Several Democrats still have concerns about the nomination, according to multiple sources. Most of those Democrats have tried to privately express their concerns to the White House and Garcetti, but the White House has stood by him.

His office previously released a statement, saying, “As the Mayor has said repeatedly and under oath, he absolutely did not witness and was not aware of any sexual harassment … and if he were, he would have put a stop to it.”

Garcetti’s nomination passed out of committee in the last Congress, but because it never came to the floor, the Biden administration had to renominate him and start the process over in the new Congress.

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