JBANC: A Baltic link to Washington

TALLINN - The Joint Baltic American National Committee is perhaps one of the most accessible tools expatriate Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians have for lobbying for their countries' causes in Washington.

The committee was formed in the early 1990s to represent three constituents: the Estonian American National Council, the American Latvian Association and the Lithuanian American Council, all organizations working toward preserving their respective nation's heritage and giving them a voice in America.

JBANC functions as a lobbying group and a liaison between the U.S. government's two Baltic-minded caucuses, the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus and the House Baltic Caucus. Both have perhaps unexpectedly high membership: the Senate version has 10 members, and the House 66.

The purpose of the caucuses, said JBANC manager Karl Altau, is to ensure that the Baltic profile remains high in Washington and vice versa regarding the U.S. profile in the Baltics. JBANC also lends a helping hand to the Baltics when it comes to support for accession to NATO, offers suggestions to the legislative drafting process and rounds up support and co-signers for Baltic-friendly legislation.

"Baltic Americans can rally behind the caucuses to support relevant issues, and the leadership benefits from support of the constituents and the voters," said Altau. He explained that JBANC also keeps the caucus members updated on international affairs funding and large appropriations bills, which determine funding for programs that may affect the Baltics' and U.S. interests there.

"The Baltic caucus in the Senate and in the House and Baltic Americans are a crucial element in our strategy for gaining membership of the alliance," said Estonian President Lennart Meri, in an address late last year at JBANC's Congressional Baltic Caucus breakfast in Washington.

The caucuses' most recent effort is a bill marking the 60th anniversary of the United States' policy of non-recognition of the Soviet takeover of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus founder and co-chairman Sen. Richard Durbin (D - Ill.) initiated the Senate version. Other members are being sought to co-sponsor the bill, according to Altau.

The Senate version was introduced on June 14, coinciding with a visit by President Meri to the Capitol as well as the anniversary of the 1940 deportations. The bill is essentially a declaration of support and recognition for the Baltic nations' aspirations to join NATO and EU, and it commends them for implementing reforms to speed themselves along on the road to accession.

In addition, the bill asks Congress to support regional cooperative programs in northern Europe between the Baltic and Nordic countries and Russia.

JBANC is now urging Baltic communities in the States to encourage their congressmen and congresswomen to co-sponsor the House version, which was introduced on June 30 by co-chairman Rep. John Shimkus (R - Ill.), who is of Lithuanian descent, according to Altau. The House Baltic Caucus is also chaired by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D - Ohio), who hails >from Cleveland, a very "ethnically"-oriented city, Altau noted.

Another bill, dubbed HR249, was passed by the House recently to foster cross-border cooperation and environmental cleanup in northern Europe. It cites the region's long-standing ties with the United States and offers "not less than 2 million dollars" in assistance for fiscal year 2001 to the region for projects relating to environmental cleanup, law enforcement, public health, business and trade promotion, energy and civil society.

Altau pointed out that many of the caucuses' resolutions, however, are of the "congratulatory," symbolic variety. There have been resolutions this year on the 10th anniversaries of the restoration of Lithuanian and Latvian independence, and yes, there will also be one for Estonia when that anniversary arrives, he said.

Mel Huang, a Tallinn-based American journalist who worked as JBANC's public relations manager in Washington, commented that Estonians have gained an especially strong status with the help of Senate caucus co-chairman Slade Gorton (R-Wash.). Illinois undoubtedly has the largest and most vocal Lithuanian community, he said.

Still, he said out the group is small. Only about 1 million Balts reside in the United States. The Central European Coalition has a far stronger pull than the Baltic caucuses, he noted, as it joins all ethnic groups except Russia.