Eric Garcetti moves a step closer to becoming US ambassador to India

The nomination of Eric Garcetti for United States Ambassador to India moved a step closer to being confirmed by the Senate as it adopted a cloture motion, indicating that the ruling Democrats have the support of a super-majority for his selection for the key position.

Such a move by Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer came a day after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at its business meeting voted 13-8 in favour of his nomination.

Garcetti's nomination is pending before the US Congress since July 2021, when he was nominated for the prestigious diplomatic posting by President Joe Biden.

His nomination was not brought to the Senate floor for a vote during the last Congress as the ruling Democratic Party did not have enough support to get the 52-year-old close aide of Biden through.

On Thursday afternoon, a Senate clerk read and brought the nomination of Garcetti to be Ambassador of the US to India on the Senate floor.

"I send the cloture motion to the desk," Schumer said on the floor which was adopted by a voice vote.

A cloture motion is a procedural motion that, if adopted, limits further debate on the matter at hand. It allows the majority to defeat efforts by the minority to delay or obstruct proceedings on a matter by showing the matter has the support of a super-majority.

After that, the clerk read a message from 16 senators.

“We, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the Senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive counter number 65, Eric Garcetti of California to be ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of India,” the clerk said.

Schumer sought and received consent that the names of the 16 Senators are not read, following which the cloture motion was agreed to.

Kenneth Juster, the last occupant of the ambassadorial residence of the US in New Delhi, stepped down in January 2021 after the change of government in America.

During Thursday's session, Schumer also got a similar cloture motion passed on the nomination of Indian-American Ravi Chaudhary to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force.