IV 
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 Fellow-
ship 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 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) recognizes the importance of efforts to re-
cruit, hire, and retain employees from the broadest 
talent pool for United States foreign affairs agencies 
in order for the United States to be globally com-
petitive and ensure that our diplomatic and develop-
ment agencies remain the best in the world; 
(2) reaffirms that the Charles B. Rangel Grad-
uate Fellowship Program, Thomas R. Pickering For-
eign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, William 
D. Clarke Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship, and 
Donald M. Payne International Development Grad-
uate Fellowship Program are statutorily mandated 
programs enacted into law by Congress on a bipar-
tisan basis to address recognized issues of exclusion 
for women and racial and ethnic minority groups as 
well as economically disadvantaged and rural popu-
lations plaguing the Department of State and 
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•HRES 219 IH 
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 at-
tempts to dismantle these programs, wasting tax-
payer resources and weakening national security. 
Æ 
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