McIver calls for State Department to reinstate Donald M. Payne fellowship

As President Donald Trump’s administration works to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other foreign aid programs, one of the casualties is the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship, named for the late Rep. Donald Payne Sr. (D-Newark). The current congresswoman from Payne’s old district, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), is demanding that the State Department bring it back.

“The Payne Fellowship has a long history of bipartisan support and has proven to be a model of merit-based recruitment into public service. Its importance in strengthening our Foreign Service cannot be overstated,” McIver said in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “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.”

The fellowship, which provided funding to help those from underrepresented backgrounds receive advanced degrees and go into careers in foreign service, was established in 2012, shortly after Payne – a foreign affairs-focused congressman during his time in office – died of cancer. 

But like many foreign aid programs, the fellowship was an early target of the new Trump administration, and its website states that “as of February 27, 2025, the Payne Fellowship Program has been terminated.” McIver told Rubio today in her letter that that is unacceptable.

“The recent decision by your department to terminate the Payne Fellowship undermines our nation’s commitment to fostering a Foreign Service that reflects professional achievement and dedication to our country,” she wrote. “Additionally, the termination negatively impacts the current cohort of 2023 and 2024 fellows, who met the rigorous and competitive application requirements and will have a lasting impact on the ability to strengthen our nation’s standing across the globe.”