1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov February 14, 2022The U.S. Department of State: Background and Selected Issues for the 117th CongressBackground Created by an act of Congress in 1789, the U.S. Department of State (State Department) is the executive branchs lead foreign affairs agency and the United St
2、ates oldest executive agency. The State Department states that its mission is to “lead Americas foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity.” The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with
3、 the advice and consent of the Senate, is the State Departments senior officer and the Presidents principal foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary is supported by about 77,000 State Department employees, including approximately 13,000 Foreign Service personnel, 11,000 Civil Service officers, and 50,
4、000 Locally Employed Staff (largely host country nationals working at U.S. overseas posts). The State Departments Washington, D.C.-based organizational structure includes approximately 30 regional and functional bureaus. The six regional bureaus are responsible for overseeing the operations of the S