President Joe Biden renominated former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be the U.S. Ambassador to India on the first day of the 118th Congress after his previous nomination died out in the last Congress amid allegations that Garcetti knew about one of his top aide’s alleged sexual harassment.
“We’re hopeful that the Senate will confirm him promptly,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday, adding that Garcetti is “well-qualified” for the “vital role.”
“I am grateful for the president’s confidence, and strong support on both sides of the aisle in the Senate,” Garcetti said. “I look forward to completing this process, so that I can begin serving in India and advancing this critical partnership as quickly as possible.”
Along with Garcetti, Biden’s White House also resubmitted nominations for roughly 60 other key positions, the LA Times reported.
Some of the resubmitted nominations include former Metro CEO Phil Washington to serve as head of the Federal Aviation Administration and Daniel Werfel to lead the Internal Revenue Service.
Biden initially nominated Garcetti to serve as U.S. Ambassador to India on July 9, 2021. However, Iowa Sens. Joni Ernst (R) and Chuck Grassley (R) stalled his nomination, expressing concerns over sexual harassment allegations made against Garcetti’s former top aide, Rick Jacobs.
“How hypocritical is it for this administration to encourage victims of sexual harassment to speak out, yet when they do so against a powerful ally of Joe Biden, they’re ignored,” Grassley said during a speech on the Senate floor last month.
Although Garcetti denied knowing about the alleged harassment by Jacobs, a report on the allegations issued in May concluded that it was “more likely than not that Mayor Garcetti either had personal knowledge of the sexual harassment or should have been aware of it.”
As CBS News reported:
An investigation into the matter last year concluded that it was “more probable than not” that Jacobs “sexually harassed multiple individuals and made racist comments towards others.” It also found it “extremely unlikely” that Garcetti was unaware of the behavior, saying that “by all accounts, Mayor Garcetti is very involved in the day-to-day operation of his office.
After the report was released, Biden’s White House claimed it was a “hit job from the beginning.”
“The President has confidence in Mayor Garcetti and believes he will be an excellent representative in India at a critical moment and calls for the Senate to swiftly confirm him,” the White House added.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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