119-hres219

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 219 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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