IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION 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 Fellow-
ship Program to advance America’s national security, development, and
diplomacy efforts.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH11, 2025
Mr. M
EEKS(for himself, Ms. CLARKEof New York, Mr. ESPAILLAT, and Ms.
M
ENG) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the contributions of the Charles B. Rangel Grad-
uate Fellowship Program, the Thomas R. Pickering For-
eign 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 secu-
rity, development, and diplomacy efforts.
Whereas the Department of State, the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID), and other for-
eign affairs agencies require a workforce with diverse tal-
ents, skills, and experiences to effectively protect United
States citizens abroad, expand commercial opportunities
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•HRES 219 IH
for United States businesses, and administer United
States foreign policy;
Whereas Congress has required in statute and the Depart-
ment of State and USAID have committed to recruit,
hire, and retain a workforce on the basis of merit prin-
ciples that reflects the diverse backgrounds of the Amer-
ican 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 post-
secondary educational institutions or students to increase
knowledge of and interest in employment with the For-
eign 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 Se-
curity 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 Grad-
uate 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;
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•HRES 219 IH
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 rep-
resenting all of America significantly contributes to bet-
ter 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 ex-
cluded groups and with a financial need, including the
Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellow-
ship Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs
Fellowship Program, the William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplo-
matic Security Fellowship, and the Donald M. Payne
International Development Fellowship Program, rep-
resent smart investments vital for building a strong,
merit-based, capable, and diverse national security work-
force;
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, in-
cluding from all 50 States and more than 500 institu-
tions of higher education;
Whereas Historically Black Colleges and Universities, His-
panic-serving institutions, other minority-serving institu-
tions and other institutions of higher education, including
community colleges and trade schools, serve populations
historically excluded from the Department of State or
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•HRES 219 IH
USAID and prepare the next generation of international
affairs professionals with the core skills necessary to
meet the United States global diplomatic and develop-
ment imperatives; and
Whereas the Secretary of State and Administrator of USAID
are required by law to consult with Congress before tak-
ing steps to modify these programs: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) recognizes the importance of efforts to re-2
cruit, hire, and retain employees from the broadest 3
talent pool for United States foreign affairs agencies 4
in order for the United States to be globally com-5
petitive and ensure that our diplomatic and develop-6
ment agencies remain the best in the world; 7
(2) reaffirms that the Charles B. Rangel Grad-8
uate Fellowship Program, Thomas R. Pickering For-9
eign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, William 10
D. Clarke Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship, and 11
Donald M. Payne International Development Grad-12
uate Fellowship Program are statutorily mandated 13
programs enacted into law by Congress on a bipar-14
tisan basis to address recognized issues of exclusion 15
for women and racial and ethnic minority groups as 16
well as economically disadvantaged and rural popu-17
lations plaguing the Department of State and 18
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•HRES 219 IH
United States Agency for International Development 1
for decades; 2
(3) underscores the importance of international 3
affairs fellowships and similar career entry programs 4
to United States national security and foreign policy; 5
and 6
(4) recognizes the substantial United States 7
taxpayer investment in ensuring the Department of 8
State and United States Agency for International 9
Development can recruit top talent from across the 10
country, provide them with critical training, and 11
strengthen America’s development and diplomatic 12
capabilities—efforts that are undermined by at-13
tempts to dismantle these programs, wasting tax-14
payer resources and weakening national security. 15
Æ
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