Eric Garcetti, who is US President Joe Biden’s pick for being the country’s ambassador to India, is now focusing on his primary role — being the mayor of Los Angeles. The Democrat is now looking to tackle real-time issues like funding the Los Angeles Police Department and reducing homelessness. 

Garcetti, 51, said that he will work on increasing the funds for Los Angeles PD and add more than $1 billion for housing programmes, the biggest increase noted so far. 

Garcetti said the spending aimed at homelessness would be about 20 times the amount directed at homelessness when he took office in 2013. The amount, however, still needs to be approved by the Los Angeles City Council, Associated Press reported.

With crime statistics rising in the Californian city, Garcetti said that he will take additional measures to expand the number of officers in the Los Angeles PD. According to reports from Associated Press citing numbers from the City Council, Los Angeles reported 397 homicides in 2021, marking the biggest tally since 2016.

While working as the Los Angeles mayor, Garcetti also juggles with his nomination for being the United States Ambassador to India. However, his path has not been so smooth, so far.

Even though the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved Garcetti’s ambassadorship to India, the whole Senate is yet to rubberstamp the decision. 

Republican lawmakers, such as Chuck Grassley, have blocked Garcetti’s full approval saying there were “numerous credible allegations” that link the Los Angeles mayor to sexual harassment allegations.

“The United States owes it to the Republic of India to send them a qualified Ambassador that will represent the values of the United States,” Grassley, the top Republican lawmaker in the committee, said in a statement to GOP’s Mitch McConnell.  

It is not clear if and when Garcetti’s vote will be held, however, the White House has previously said that Biden continues to support the Democrat.