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