Biden picks Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for ambassador to India

By Kaitlan Collins and Rachel Janfaza, CNN

President Joe Biden is set to announce he’s selecting Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as his ambassador to India, pending Senate confirmation, according to a White House official.

Garcetti’s selection, which has long been anticipated, is one of four picks in the latest round of ambassadors coming from the President.

Garcetti on Friday said in a statement he is “honored to accept” the President’s nomination.

“I have committed my life to service —- as an activist, as a teacher, as a naval officer, as a public servant, and if confirmed, next as an ambassador. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call. And should I be confirmed, I’ll bring this same energy, commitment, and love for this city to my new role and will forge partnerships and connections that will help Los Angeles,” Garcetti said.

The other three set to be nominated for ambassadorships are: Denise Campbell Bauer, for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the French Republic and to the Principality of Monaco; Peter D. Haas, for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to People’s Republic of Bangladesh; Bernadette M. Meehan, for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of Chile.

Bauer — a former journalist and nonprofit leader — previously served as US Ambassador to Belgium from 2013 to 2017, after having been nominated by former President Barack Obama. In 2019, Bauer served as Executive Director of Women for Biden. She is a longtime Democratic donor and was on Biden’s bundler list, which was made up of individuals who raised at least $100,000 for his campaign or affiliated joint fundraising committees.

Haas, currently the acting assistant secretary of State and the principal deputy assistant secretary for Economic and Business Affairs for the State Department, has years of experience at the State Department. He previously served as senior advisor/deputy assistant secretary for Trade Policy and Negotiations, deputy permanent representative to the US Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, France and as consul general of the US Consulate General Mumbai, India.

And Meehan, currently the executive vice president of Global Programs for the Obama Foundation, is a former foreign service officer at the State Department, where she served in roles at the National Security Council and as special assistant to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Biden still has some top posts to fill

Biden first announced a selection of overseas envoys in April, several months into his term, putting him behind the pace set by his most recent predecessors and leading to early frustrations among some career State Department officials and big-time Democratic donors.

At the time, Biden’s selection of a slate of predominantly career officials indicated his move away from the Trump administration’s reliance on political appointees after the Biden team pledged to invest in career diplomats.

On the eve of his summit in Geneva with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden announced his nominees to serve as ambassadors to Israel, Mexico, NATO and several other posts, including Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III to represent the United States on an international civil aviation safety board.

But while the President nominated Tom Nides to serve as ambassador to Israel, former Sen. Ken Salazar to serve as the top US diplomat to Mexico and Julian Smith to serve as ambassador to NATO, the initial rounds of appointees left many of the most high-profile posts around the world still unfilled.

Since then, Biden has selected Amy Gutmann as his nominee for top diplomat in Berlin, Virginia Palmer as nominee for ambassador to Ghana, Jeffrey Hovenier for Kosovo and Chantale Wong as the nominee for US director of the Asian Development Bank, a title that comes with the rank of ambassador.

The President has yet to make public his choices for several top posts including London and Beijing. Biden has yet to announce the nomination of Nick Burns, who is expected to be picked for China.

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CNN’s Fredreka Schouten, Jeff Zeleny, Kevin Liptak, Nicole Gaouette, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.