[ad_1]
The long-stalled nomination of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to turn out to be the U.S. ambassador to India confronted a make-or-break vote within the Senate on Wednesday amid questions on help from his personal celebration and fallout from a sexual harassment scandal involving a former high adviser.
Democrat Garcetti’s nomination for the outstanding diplomatic put up has languished within the Senate for 20 months, after President Joe Biden first named him in July 2021.
The emptiness within the ambassadorship has left a major diplomatic hole for the administration at a time of rising international tensions, together with China’s more and more assertive presence within the Pacific area and Russia’s struggle with Ukraine.
The nomination has been freighted with questions on what the previous mayor knew, and when, about sexual harassment allegations towards his buddy and once-close adviser, Rick Jacobs. A lawsuit alleges that Jacobs steadily harassed one of many then-mayor’s police bodyguards whereas Garcetti ignored the abuse or laughed it off.
Garcetti has repeatedly denied the claims.
Wednesday’s vote examined Democratic loyalty to Biden, and in addition measured assessments of Garcetti’s judgment and trustworthiness, stemming from the Metropolis Corridor allegations.
“I feel we will discover any individual that may do the job higher,” mentioned Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
Garcetti additionally did not win over Democrat Mark Kelly of Arizona, who mentioned he had “severe issues.”
With a break in Democratic help, it nonetheless was attainable Garcetti’s nomination might be salvaged by crossover help from Republicans.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine mentioned, “I met with him personally. He clearly has an infinite quantity of experience about India. India’s been two years with out an envoy, and that’s far too lengthy. And I’m going to help him.”
Sen. Todd Younger, R-Ind., who backed Garcetti in a committee vote, mentioned that he, too, can be voting in favor.
“It’s a nationwide safety crucial to right away have an envoy in place in India. We are able to’t afford to attend any longer,” Younger mentioned.
Rachel Rizzo, a nonresident senior fellow on the Atlantic Council, mentioned she sensed frustration in regards to the lack of an envoy throughout a current journey to India. She mentioned it “offers an impression that the connection isn’t essential.”
“It actually factors to the interior dysfunction within the U.S. Congress in the meanwhile, and it makes it very laborious for us to ship the messages that we’re attempting to ship when it appears to be like to our diplomatic companions that we don’t have our home so as,” she mentioned.
“I feel that’s been a difficulty for the final couple of years.”
[ad_2]
Source link
