The United States maintains 126 embassies abroad. The Department employs 13.451 individuals of which 3.792 are Americans serving abroad and 5.120 are foreign nationals working in our overseas missions. In addition to providing authorization of the funds to finance the operation and maintenance of our embassies and consulates. together with the operation of the State Department here in the United States. this bill authorizes the money for our share of the cost of the United Nations and of other international organizations to which we belong. as well as the operation of the educational exchange program and our contributions to certain programs of refugee assistance. Although the magnitude of the operations for which authorization is provided in this bill is imposing and. to anyone not familiar with the nature of our overseas operations. surprising. I should point out that the State Department budget is smaller than that of any other Cabinet level department.