119-sres123

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 123 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 123

 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 in advancing the national security and the 
 development and diplomacy efforts of the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 11 (legislative day, March 10), 2025

 Mr. Booker submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 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 in advancing the national security and the 
 development and diplomacy efforts of the United States.

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 the 
 USAID have committed to recruit, hire, and retain employees on the basis 
 of merit that reflect the diverse backgrounds of the American people 
 that they represent abroad;
Whereas, in 1990, Congress amended the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a et seq.) 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 of less than 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 the 
 United States 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 who have 
 financial needs, 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 the importance of these fellowship programs in 
 expanding merit- and need-based recruitment from a wide geographically 
 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 and 
 the 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 the Administrator of the United States Agency 
 for International Development are required by law to consult with 
 Congress before taking steps to modify these programs: Now, therefore, 
 be it
 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) recognizes the importance of efforts to recruit, hire, 
 and retain for United States foreign affairs agencies employees 
 from the broadest talent pool, in order for the United States 
 to be globally competitive and ensure that the diplomatic and 
 development agencies of the United States remain the best in 
 the world;

    (2) reaffirms that 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 are 
 statutorily mandated programs enacted into law on a bipartisan 
 basis to address recognized issues that have plagued the 
 Department of State and the United States Agency for 
 International Development for decades of exclusion of women, 
 racial and ethnic minority groups, and economically 
 disadvantaged and rural populations;

    (3) underscores the importance to United States national 
 security and foreign policy of international affairs 
 fellowships and similar career entry programs; and

    (4) recognizes the substantial investment by United States 
 taxpayers in ensuring the Department of State and the United 
 States Agency for International Development can recruit top 
 talent from across the country, provide them with critical 
 training, and strengthen the development and diplomatic 
 capabilities of the United States--efforts that are undermined 
 by attempts to dismantle these programs, wasting taxpayer 
 resources and weakening national security.
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