The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13-8 to advance the nomination of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to become U.S. ambassador to India.
Republican Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee voted alongside the committee's Democrats in support of Garcetti on Wednesday, reported The Hill.
According to NBC News, in July 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Garcetti to the position, and the committee agreed in January 2022. However, his nomination was put on hold after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against one of Garcetti's former advisers.
The staff of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, investigated the allegations, concluding Garcetti was likely aware of that his former chief of staff, Rick Jacobs, sexually harassing a police officer.
The city of Los Angeles conducted its own probe and found no wrongdoing by Garcetti, reported The Hill.
He never received a full vote of the Senate before the congressional session ended in January, so Biden renominated him at the onset of the new session.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said last month he would delay the confirmation hearing to not "turn a blind eye" to the "absurd" nomination, The Hill reported.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Politico he is optimistic that Garcetti will be confirmed.
"He got two Republican votes today. I would think that he would find a pathway forward on the floor to be supported," he said.
Moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is expected to be the swing vote.
She told the Los Angeles Times she was "impressed" with Garcetti after an "excellent" meeting.
A majority vote is needed to confirm Garcetti.
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