By Arun Kumar
Washington, July 11 (IANS) The US Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama’s nomination of former House of Representatives member Tim Roemer of Indiana as the new US ambassador to India.

Lawmakers approved Roemer’s nomination Friday by unanimous consent, a parliamentary procedure that does not require a recorded vote.

He is expected to leave for New Delhi immediately to be there in time for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s trip to India next week.

As the top US diplomat in India, Roemer, a strong advocate of Obama’s foreign policy approach, will have his task cut out for him - to further Clinton’s vision to upgrade the India-US “strategic partnership” to a new level.

Roemer, who represented the South Bend area in Indiana in the US House from 1991 to 2003, endorsed Obama during his primary campaign and his endorsement helped Obama become the first Democrat to carry the midwestern state in 44 years.

Roemer, once seen as in the running to head the CIA, served on the blue-ribbon commission investigating the Sep 11, 2001 terror attacks on the US and on a key committee to prevent nuclear proliferation.

The 52-year-old former lawmaker holds a doctorate degree in government and now heads the Centre for National Policy, a Washington think-tank.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)