Who is Eric Garcetti, the new US envoy to India
The United States Senate voted 52-42 on Wednesday to elect President Joe Biden's loyalist Eric Garcetti as the US ambassador to India after the position remained vacant for 20 months. He will succeed Kenneth Ian Juster, who resigned in January 2021 after former president Donald Trump was voted out. Prior to Juster's appointment, the US mission in India was led by A Elizabeth Jones.
Garcetti became first Jewish mayor of Los Angeles in 2013
Notably, at 42, Garcetti became Los Angeles' youngest and first elected Jewish mayor in 2013. He is the son of Gil Garcetti, a former Los Angeles County District Attorney. His paternal grandfather, Salvador, immigrated to the US as a child after his father was hanged during the Mexican Revolution (1910-20). His maternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants, and he attended a Jewish camp.
Studied at Columbia University, Queen's College, LSE
He earned a BA in political science and urban planning from Columbia University, where he also served on the student council, and an MA in international affairs. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Queen's College, Oxford. He also started a Ph.D. in ethnicity and nationalism at the London School of Economics (LSE) but is not known to have completed the degree yet.
Served in US Navy Reserve for 12 years
He taught at Occidental College and the University of South California (USC). He also served as an officer in the United States Navy Reserve for 12 years. His wife, Amy, was a fellow Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and the couple has an adopted daughter.
Biden nominated him in July 2021
Biden first nominated Garcetti for the post in July 2021. However, due to a lack of sufficient support during the previous Congress, the ruling Democratic Party did not bring his nomination to the Senate floor for a vote. After the 100-member Senate confirmed his appointment, Garcetti said, "I'm ready and eager to begin my service representing our critical interests in India."
Accused of mishandling sexual assault allegations against senior advisor
Reportedly, Garcetti's appointment hit a roadblock after some lawmakers expressed concern that he didn't properly tackle allegations of sexual assault against a senior advisor, Rick Jacobs, during his nine-year mayoral tenure. It ruled him out as a candidate for Biden's cabinet and nearly derailed his bid as an ambassador. He has maintained that he was unaware of Jacob's alleged conduct.
