DOGE Pulled Plug On USAID Diplomat Program, NJ Congresswoman Says

NEW JERSEY — A congresswoman from New Jersey is demanding the reinstatement of a diplomatic fellowship that she says was gutted by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) recently wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the “immediate reinstatement” of the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program.

McIver alleged that the program was cut as part of DOGE’s “political attacks” on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Here’s what it does, she said:

“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 USAID. 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.”

“The Payne Fellowship has a long history of bipartisan support and has proven to be a model of merit-based recruitment into public service,” McIver wrote.

“Its importance in strengthening our Foreign Service cannot be overstated,” she urged. “Fellows have interned in congressional offices across party lines, contributing to a better understanding of the intersection between international development and policy making.”

The congresswoman wrote to Rubio:

“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. 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.”

McIver’s letter was dated March 19. The website for the fellowship remains inactive as of Thursday afternoon.

New Jersey's 10th congressional district includes the following municipalities: Caldwell, East Orange, Essex Fells, Irvington, Montclair (part), Newark (part), Orange, Verona, West Orange in Essex County; Jersey City (part) in Hudson County; Cranford, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden (part), Roselle, Roselle Park, Union Township in Union County.

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