The Biden administration is making one other try to push by way of its nominee for U.S. Ambassador to India subsequent week, because the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR) has scheduled a nomination hearing for former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and 6 different nominees to varied positions.

The itemizing of Garcetti as a part of a Business assembly scheduled by the Foreign Relations Committee for February 28 will pave the best way for a full Senate vote within the new Congress, the place it has a higher probability of going by way of now because the Democrats have a 51-49 slim majority.

India-U.S. relationship ‘defining partnership’ for this century: Former Ambassador Richard Verma

Significantly, the itemizing coincided with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s journey to Delhi and Mumbai this week, the place he led a senior U.S. Congress delegation for conferences, together with with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

“India, with its democratic traditions, can be a very strong partner in outcompeting China. And India joining the western partnership could serve the purpose of advancing democracy,” he added, in an announcement in regards to the go to.

On January 3, this 12 months Mr. Garcetti, whose first nomination to the put up made in 2021 lapsed with the earlier U.S. Congress, was re-nominated because the Biden nominee for New Delhi, regardless of the pushback he confronted from Republicans and even some Democrat lawmakers over a sexual harassment scandal involving his deputy in his mayoral workplace.

The U.S. administration has repeatedly mentioned it stays dedicated to the nomination and that it on no account impacts the bilateral relationship, which has seen a report variety of high-level conferences prior to now two years. Mr. Schumer’s go to, throughout his first go to overseas main a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) as Majority Leader additionally sought to point out “commitment to the important U.S.-India relationship,” the Senator mentioned.

The renewed push for sending Mr. Garcetti to New Delhi comes forward of a crowded diplomatic bilateral calendar, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken due in March for the G20 Foreign Minister’s assembly, Raisina conference, and a proposed, however not but confirmed, Quad Foreign Minister’s assembly. PM Modi will see President Biden on the G7-outreach summit in Hiroshima in May, adopted by the Quad Summit in Sydney.

Officials are additionally discussing a doable go to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington for his first State go to to the U.S. in July, and U.S. President Joe Biden will journey to Delhi in September for the G20 Summit.

However, analysts level out that even when Mr. Garcetti is confirmed and arrives in India, it’s unclear simply how a lot time he may have in Delhi.

While a traditional ambassadorial tenure spans at the least three years, the U.S. will enter election season inside months, by January 2024, and Mr. Biden’s focus is anticipated to maneuver to the re-election marketing campaign, if he chooses to run.

In addition, as a politician, Mr. Garcetti could want to return to the U.S. to marketing campaign or run for an workplace himself. Mr. Garcetti’s tenure, ought to his affirmation undergo, would even be uncommon because the U.S. Ambassador’s residence has gone into renovations, and he could be one of many first Ambassadors to not keep Roosevelt House when he arrives.

The MEA declined to touch upon whether or not Mr. Schumer had mentioned the inordinate delay in sending a U.S. Ambassador to India, a put up that has been vacant for 2 years, the longest such interval so far. However, at a Foreign Relations Committee assembly for the nomination of former US Ambassador to India (2014-2017) Richard R. Verma for a senior place within the U.S. State division on February 16, the difficulty got here up for some remark.

“Having a senior official on the ground that represents the President makes a big difference,” Mr. Verma advised members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee throughout his affirmation listening to for Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, the place he known as the India-U.S. relationship a “defining partnership” of the century.

“I think everyone hopefully appreciates the urgency with the need to put someone there as soon as possible. It’s also, I would say, a morale issue for the team. But more importantly, just delivering on the President’s priorities,” Mr. Verma added in his response to questions in regards to the delay by two members of the committee Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Van Hollen.