Newark, NJ. – Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately reinstate the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program, in a letter sent to Rubio this week. The Payne Fellowship is a vital initiative to increase our nation's diplomatic capacity by providing a pipeline of highly qualified technical Foreign Service Officers to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s political attacks on USAID shut down hundreds of critical programs, including the Payne Fellowship.
“The Payne Fellowship has a long history of bipartisan support and has proven to be a model of merit-based recruitment into public service,” wrote Rep. McIver. “Its importance in strengthening our Foreign Service cannot be overstated. Fellows have interned in congressional offices across party lines, contributing to a better understanding of the intersection between international development and policy making. Payne fellows are committed to serve their country, and we must honor that commitment by ensuring they have the opportunity to contribute their skills to U.S. foreign policy and development efforts.”
Read the full letter here.
Named in honor of the late Congressman Donald M. Payne Sr., a dedicated advocate for global human rights and development, this fellowship program has been instrumental in hiring top-tier talent in international development since 2012. The Fellowship is a competitive, merit-based program that recruits exceptional Americans who demonstrate academic and leadership achievements, and a commitment to serving the public and promoting America's interests abroad as USAID Foreign Service Officers.
McIver represents New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District. She is the first Black woman to represent NJ-10 and the youngest person ever elected to the United States House of Representatives to represent New Jersey. She is a member of the House Small Business and Homeland Security Committees.
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