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.
This measure is a House Resolution recognizing and reaffirming support for four longtime fellowship programs—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. The resolution notes that these programs help recruit a diverse, highly qualified workforce for the State Department, USAID, and other foreign affairs agencies to strengthen national security, development, and diplomacy. It emphasizes that these programs are statutorily mandated, merit- and need-based, highly competitive, and open to a broad pool of talent, including Pell-eligible and first-generation college graduates, and it warns against efforts to dismantle them. In essence, the bill is a formal, non-binding expression of congressional support for maintaining and protecting these fellowship programs as key tools for recruiting top talent. The resolution does not create or change law or funding by itself. Instead, it serves as a statement of principle and encouragement to continue supporting, recruiting, and retaining a diverse international affairs workforce. It underscores that any modifications to these programs must involve consultation with Congress, reflecting existing statutory requirements. As a House resolution, its effect is primarily political and informational, signaling bipartisan support for these fellowships and their role in national security and diplomacy.
Key Points
- 1Recognizes and supports four named fellowship programs that recruit diverse talent for U.S. foreign affairs work.
- 2Asserts that these programs are statutorily mandated, merit-based, need-based, highly competitive (low acceptance rates), and subject to the same rigorous selection and security processes as other Foreign Service positions.
- 3Highlights that the programs promote inclusion of Pell-eligible and first-generation graduates, contributing to a more diverse and capable U.S. national security and diplomatic workforce.
- 4Emphasizes that international affairs fellowships help strengthen national security and foreign policy by broadening perspectives and cultural understanding, improving threat identification and diplomatic engagement.
- 5States that these programs have bipartisan support, serve a wide geographic and institutional range, and that attempts to dismantle them would waste taxpayer resources and weaken national security; also notes that the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator must consult Congress before modifying these programs, aligning with existing law.