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U.S. Overseas Diplomatic Presence: Background and
Issues for Congress
Members of Congress maintain enduring interests in the
Types of Diplomatic Posts
U.S. diplomatic presence overseas. Congress plays an
The United States has expanded the diversity and functions
ongoing role in shaping the U.S. overseas presence by
of its overseas posts over the years. Types of overseas posts
authorizing and appropriating funding for the construction
vary in terms of their roles within missions, the rank of
and security of diplomatic facilities and, separately, the
Foreign Service Officers at post, and the types of functions
hiring of U.S. diplomatic personnel. Members of the 116th
the post performs. The State Department’s Foreign Affairs
Congress may continue to monitor and oversee these issues,
Manual describes the types of diplomatic and consular
including potential implementation of restructuring or
posts. Descriptions of many of such posts are as follows:
reform initiatives proposed by the executive branch.
Permanent Bilateral Missions. Embassies headed by
History of U.S. Overseas Diplomacy
ambassadors and established to conduct continuing
diplomatic relations with the government of another
The conduct of U.S. diplomacy overseas predates the
country or authority.
Declaration of Independence, tracing its history to the
Multilateral Mission. U.S. missions to international
inception of the Continental Congress. Early U.S. diplomats
organizations rather than foreign governments, such as
played a vital role in efforts to attain independence from the
the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN).
British Empire. Benjamin Franklin’s diplomatic efforts
were instrumental in the signing of the Treaty of Alliance
U.S. Interest Sections (USINTs). Offices operating
with France in 1778. By 1797, an independent United
under the auspices of a protecting power in countries
States maintained diplomatic relations with France, Great
with which the United States does not maintain
Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.
diplomatic relations, tasked with maintaining U.S.
interests and providing consular services to U.S. citizens
U.S. overseas staffing levels and global presence have
in such countries.
increased throughout American history, experiencing
Consulates General (CGs): The offices and staff of a
significant growth in the 20th century as the United States
consul general, often located in major, noncapital cities
assumed a greater leadership role in global affairs. The
of the host country. Consulates General normally have a
United States engaged in its greatest expansion of overseas
greater diversity of multidisciplinary staff than
diplomatic presence following World War II. From 1940 to
Consulates, and they often house personnel from non-
1950, the number of overseas diplomatic personnel rose
State agencies.
from 840 to 7,710. The number of overseas diplomatic
Consulates: Typically smaller than Consulates General,
missions experienced a concomitant expansion, rising from
consulates comprise the office and staff of consuls.
58 in 1940 to 74 in 1950, and to 170 by 2018 (see Figure
Lacking the broader remit of Consulates General,
1).
consulates focus almost exclusively on consular
Figure 1. Composition of U.S. Department of State
functions such as the adjudication of immigrant and
Personnel, 1940-2018
nonimmigrant visa applications and the provision of
passport services to U.S. citizens abroad.
Consular Agencies. An office that provides non-visa
consular services, typically staffed by local residents
working part-time.
American Presence Posts (APPs). Small diplomatic
and consular offices, typically staffed by one U.S.
direct-hire officer. Legally, APPs are considered
consulates.
Virtual Presence Posts (VPPs). Established to provide
remote diplomatic engagement with important cities or
regions, these posts have no resident U.S. employees.
VPPs generally receive regular visits from mission
personnel.
Source: Created by CRS based on data from U.S. Department of
Congress exercises oversight of the U.S. overseas presence
State, Office of the Historian, Department Personnel, 1781-2010 and
pursuant to several provisions of law, including Section 48
Bureau of Human Resources, HR Fact Sheet 2018; Plischke, Elmer.
of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, as
U.S. Department of State: A Reference History. Westport, CT:
amended (P.L. 84-885). This measure requires the State
Greenwood Press, 1999.
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U.S. Overseas Diplomatic Presence: Background and Issues for Congress
Department to notify Congress no less than 45 days prior to
Figure 2. U.S. Overseas Presence in 2018
closing a consular or diplomatic post abroad. Similar
requirements have also been included in annual State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS)
appropriations bills. Congress also funds the planning,
design, construction, and maintenance of all U.S. overseas
posts through SFOPS. The current U.S. overseas presence
is detailed in Figure 2.
Representation of Other Federal Agencies at U.S.
Overseas Posts
As the complexity of U.S. diplomatic functions has grown,
so too has the diversity of U.S. agencies represented at
overseas missions; today, 30 U.S. agencies are represented.
In addition to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for
International Development, some of the most prominent
agencies with overseas personnel include the Departments
of Commerce, Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security,
Sources: Created by CRS based on data from
and Justice, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and
https://www.usembassy.gov/
Prevention and the Library of Congress.
U.S. Overseas Presence and Restructuring
The combined presence of these U.S. agencies within
Initiatives
embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic posts is
In the FY2019 Congressional Budget Justification for the
collectively referred to as U.S. overseas “missions.” The
U.S. Department of State, then-Secretary of State Rex
term “Chief of Mission” (COM) refers to the U.S. officer in
Tillerson outlined the State Department’s Impact Initiative,
charge of each mission to a foreign country, foreign
which highlights 16 keystone projects covering three broad
territory, or international organization. The statutory basis
issue areas. Three of these projects contain policy items
for the authority and responsibility of COMs is primarily
with ramifications for the U.S. overseas presence. Status
found in the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended (FSA
updates for each effort, as provided in an August 2019
1980; P.L. 96-465). Section 207 of FSA 1980 outlines
Government Accountability Office report, are included in
COM responsibilities, authority over personnel, and the
the project descriptions.
obligations of U.S. personnel and agencies to keep the
COM informed of all activities and operations of employees
Improve U.S. Government Global Presence
in that country. National Security Decision Directive
Governance: This project focuses on building upon
(NSDD) 38, which went into effect in 1982, gives COMs
existing programs governing the U.S. global presence to
further control of the size, composition, and mandate of
allow agencies to improve their coordination on
overseas full-time mission staffing for all U.S. agencies.
overseas deployments while also providing for clearer
Requests by agencies for additions, deletions, and changes
evaluations of the U.S. global presence relative to
to their staffing overseas are managed by the Office of
national interests. Implementation is on hold pending
Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation (M/PRI).
reevaluation by the Under Secretary for Management.
Typically, the U.S. ambassador posted to a country with
Develop and Implement a National Interest Global
which the United States maintains diplomatic relations
Presence Model: This project seeks to develop new
serves as the COM. In the absence of an ambassador, the
quantitative means to analyze overseas personnel
FSA authorizes the President to appoint a career U.S.
deployments and other costs, and compare them with
Foreign Service officer as a chargé d'affaires “for such
U.S. national interests and policy priorities. The State
period as the public interest may require.” However, many
Department plans to implement this project through a
observers note that, while chargés d'affaires are generally
new “Center for Analytics” tasked with implementing
qualified and capable of serving as COMs, it is preferable
department-wide data management and analytical tools.
for a host of reasons for the United States to be represented
abroad by U.S. ambassadors confirmed by and with the
Expanding Post Archetype Options: This project
advice and consent of the Senate.
focuses on examining the overseas post models
(described above) and revising them to align with the
challenges the United States currently faces. The State
Department is not currently implementing this project
but plans to reevaluate it after the National Interest
Global Presence Model is completed.
Cory R. Gill, Analyst in Foreign Affairs
Edward J. Collins-Chase, Research Assistant
IF11242
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U.S. Overseas Diplomatic Presence: Background and Issues for Congress
Disclaimer
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