[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 219 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 219
Recognizing the contributions of the Charles B. Rangel Graduate
Fellowship Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate
Fellowship Program, the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security
Fellowship, and the Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate
Fellowship Program to advance America's national security, development,
and diplomacy efforts.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2025
Mr. Meeks (for himself, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Espaillat, and Ms.
Meng) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the contributions of the Charles B. Rangel Graduate
Fellowship Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate
Fellowship Program, the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security
Fellowship, and the Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate
Fellowship Program to advance America's national security, development,
and diplomacy efforts.
Whereas the Department of State, the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), and other foreign affairs agencies require a
workforce with diverse talents, skills, and experiences to effectively
protect United States citizens abroad, expand commercial opportunities
for United States businesses, and administer United States foreign
policy;
Whereas Congress has required in statute and the Department of State and USAID
have committed to recruit, hire, and retain a workforce on the basis of
merit principles that reflects the diverse backgrounds of the American
people they represent abroad;
Whereas, in 1990, Congress amended the State Department Basic Authorities Act of
1956 (Public Law 84-885) to authorize the Secretary of State to make
grants to postsecondary educational institutions or students to increase
knowledge of and interest in employment with the Foreign Service, with a
special focus on minority students, broadening recruitment and retention
efforts in order to ensure equal opportunity and draw on the strength of
all United States citizens;
Whereas, pursuant to these authorities, the Department of State launched the
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, the Charles B. Rangel
International Affairs Program, and the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic
Security Fellowship in 1992, 2002, and 2023, respectively;
Whereas these programs increase the inclusion of Pell-eligible and first-
generation college graduates in the Foreign Service, with a majority of
current fellows having been Pell grant recipients;
Whereas the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program
and the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program--the
Department of State's flagship initiatives to recruit top-tier talent--
are merit-based, need-based, and highly competitive, with an annual
acceptance rate under 5 percent;
Whereas all fellows pass the same rigorous selection, hiring, and security
clearance process as all other members of the Foreign Service;
Whereas research shows that developing a workforce representing all of America
significantly contributes to better national security outcomes by
providing a wider range of perspectives, experiences, and cultural
understanding, enabling more effective threat identification, innovative
solutions, and stronger diplomatic engagement across the globe;
Whereas international affairs fellowships that promote the employment of
candidates who belong to historically excluded groups and with a
financial need, including the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs
Graduate Fellowship Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs
Fellowship Program, the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security
Fellowship, and the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship
Program, represent smart investments vital for building a strong, merit-
based, capable, and diverse national security workforce;
Whereas Congress, on a bipartisan basis, has authorized each of these fellowship
programs recognizing their importance in expanding merit- and need-based
recruitment from a wide geographic and economically diverse talent pool,
including from all 50 States and more than 500 institutions of higher
education;
Whereas Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving
institutions, other minority-serving institutions and other institutions
of higher education, including community colleges and trade schools,
serve populations historically excluded from the Department of State or
USAID and prepare the next generation of international affairs
professionals with the core skills necessary to meet the United States
global diplomatic and development imperatives; and
Whereas the Secretary of State and Administrator of USAID are required by law to
consult with Congress before taking steps to modify these programs: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of efforts to recruit, hire,
and retain employees from the broadest talent pool for United
States foreign affairs agencies in order for the United States
to be globally competitive and ensure that our diplomatic and
development agencies remain the best in the world;
(2) reaffirms that the Charles B. Rangel Graduate
Fellowship Program, Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs
Graduate Fellowship Program, William D. Clarke Sr. Diplomatic
Security Fellowship, and Donald M. Payne International
Development Graduate Fellowship Program are statutorily
mandated programs enacted into law by Congress on a bipartisan
basis to address recognized issues of exclusion for women and
racial and ethnic minority groups as well as economically
disadvantaged and rural populations plaguing the Department of
State and United States Agency for International Development
for decades;
(3) underscores the importance of international affairs
fellowships and similar career entry programs to United States
national security and foreign policy; and
(4) recognizes the substantial United States taxpayer
investment in ensuring the Department of State and United
States Agency for International Development can recruit top
talent from across the country, provide them with critical
training, and strengthen America's development and diplomatic
capabilities--efforts that are undermined by attempts to
dismantle these programs, wasting taxpayer resources and
weakening national security.
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