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On Tuesday, senators inquiring about Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s nomination for ambassador to India questioned him.
During his hearing, Garcetti made a statement before being grilled by members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.”Few countries are more critical to the future security and prosperity of the United States than India,” Garcetti told the committee.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and comprised of only a few Democrats and two Republicans, emphasised how the United States views India as a critical ally in its efforts to counter China’s growing power and influence.
“If confirmed,” Garcetti declared, “I will seek to advance our ambitious bilateral cooperation, which is bound by a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.”
“If confirmed, I intend to increase our efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to police its borders, defend its sovereignty, and deter aggression through intelligence sharing and counterterrorism partnership.”
Garcetti informed the committee of his trips to India, including his first trip as a teenager with his parents, and his second trip in 1990 as a guest of Ambassador William Clark Jr., whose son was Garcetti’s college roommate. He stated his journey in the 1990s prompted him to major in Hindi and Urdu, as well as Indian and Cultural Religious History in college.
Despite the pandemic, our bilateral trade is likely to set a new high this year, and if confirmed, I promise to support a bold economic relationship with India to lower market barriers, boost free trade, and create good, middle-class American jobs,” Garcetti added.
Garcetti, a political appointee who previously worked as a co-chair of Biden’s presidential campaign, is well-known as President Joe Biden’s close adviser. Garcetti’s role in co-founding the bipartisan “Climate Mayors” network and convincing more than 400 US mayors to sign the Paris Climate Agreement was highlighted by the White House in announcing his selection.
During his remarks, the Mayor of Los Angeles emphasised his experience combatting climate change in the city, including putting the city on schedule to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2035. Garcetti stated that he and India will collaborate on a “similarly ambitious approach to boosting renewable energy.”
Several senators inquired about Garcetti’s plans to address the India-Russia connection, noting that Russia remains a significant player, accounting for over 70% of India’s defence inventory, despite the prospect of CAATSA sanctions.
The Mayor was also asked on India’s human rights, namely the much-discussed Citizenship Amendment Act. Garcetti touted his master’s degree in Human Rights and International Law, declaring that human rights would be a “core element” of his interaction with India.
“Human rights and the defence of democracy are cornerstones of our foreign policy, and if confirmed, I would vigorously campaign for or raise these problems with humility. It is a two-way street on these issues, but I want to engage civil society directly.” According to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa,
Garcetti was also grilled over charges that he and his senior aides failed to address allegations of sexual harassment by his former top advisor, which he denied once again. “I want to state categorically that I never witnessed, nor was it brought to my attention, the behaviour that is been described, and I also want to assure you that if it had been, I would have taken quick action to stop it,” he said during the under two-hour hearing.
Donald Armin Blome, who has been nominated to run the embassy in Pakistan, and Amy Gutmann, the president’s selection for ambassador to Germany, both testified alongside the mayor of Los Angeles. The meeting ended without a vote, and the chair of the committee sent additional questions to Garcetti, who will respond to them on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Garcetti’s nomination will go to the full Senate after being approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Republicans have slowed the confirmation process by placing “holds” on nominees.
The White House believes Garcetti will be a steady hand in guiding the India-US relationship, according to sources.
Since 2013, Garcetti, a Biden supporter, has served as mayor of Los Angeles. He holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, where he studied international relations.
Before retiring as a lieutenant in 2017, Garcetti served as an intelligence officer in the US Navy Reserve Component for 12 years, serving under the commander of the US Pacific Fleet and with the Defense Intelligence Agency.
