The White House on Monday said it was committed to ensure that its nominee for Indian ambassador, Eric Garcetti, made it through the Senate confirmation despite the process being stalled for over 16 months, resulting in the US embassy functioning without a full-time envoy for nearly two years now.

Garcetti, who is the mayor of Los Angeles and was cochair of Joe Biden’s successful presidential campaign in 2020, was nominated for the post of Indian ambassador on July 10, 2021, but his Senate confirmation was blocked by a Republican senator over the alleged mishandling of sexual harassment charges against a top aide by him and his staff.

Asked if the White House is going to push the Senate to finally get a vote on Garcetti’s nomination considering the importance of the relationship with India, presidential spokesperson Karine JeanPierre said: “Absolutely. India is a very important relationship that we have. You saw the President greet and meet very briefly with Prime Minister Modi just last week when he was in Bali. So clearly, it’s an important relationship that we truly respect.

“As for mayor Garcetti, we are committed to getting him through the process. We’re continuing to talk to the Senate on making that happen. That is a priority of ours. And I just don’t have anything further to share on any strategy or anything else moving forward on that.”

Last Saturday, the Los Angeles Times wrote: “A vote on the appointment has never been scheduled, as Garcetti and his allies strain to reach the 50 votes needed for approval. LA’s mayor has waited far longer for confirmation — nearly 500 days — than all others whom Biden has designated to be ambassadors, according to the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.”

“Garcetti and his team have focused on winning some Republican votes, after at least a few Democratic senators, including Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, indicated concerns about the harassment allegations...,’’ the Los Angeles Times report said.

For the Narendra Modi government, the delay in Washington appointing an ambassador is slowly becoming an embarrassment as critics see this as a reflection of India’s actual standing in the US.

The US ambassador’s post has been lying vacant since Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, when the then occupant of Roosevelt House in New Delhi, Ken Juster, stepped down to make way for the new administration’s appointee.