Senator Dick Durbin Receives Baltic Freedom Award from the Joint Baltic American National Committee
On March 17, the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) awarded Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Dick Durbin, the Baltic Freedom Award, for a lifetime of building U.S.-Baltic relations. The award was presented by JBANC Board member and Lithuanian American Council member Thomas Sadauskas.
Senator Dick Durbin’s career in Congress has spanned several historic moments in Baltic diplomatic history from re-independence to NATO accession. Senator Durbin has witnessed firsthand the transformation of the region, having first visited Lithuania in 1979 as part of a trip with the American Council of Young Political Leaders. Senator Durbin would visit several more times observing Lithuania’s first elections in 1990 and participating in the NATO Vilnius Summit in 2023. In an interview with PunchBowl News’s Andrew Desiderio, Sen. Durbin remarked, “To think now that I’m coming to a NATO summit in Vilnius 40 years later — what a dramatic contrast from that drab city of the Soviet era, to this viable part of the world’s future and the NATO summit.”
In a press release Senator Durbin stated, “As a proud son of a Lithuanian immigrant, I was honored to receive JBANC’s Baltic Freedom Award.” Senator Durbin’s statement continues: “Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the security threats facing the region have become more urgent, including Russian and Belarusian efforts to destabilize the Baltics through disinformation campaigns, hybrid attacks, and airspace incursions. But Russian bullying has failed, and the Baltics remain among the strongest supporters of NATO and Ukraine, providing critical military, humanitarian, and diplomatic support. With my remaining time in Congress, I’ll work to ensure that the U.S. remains as committed to its Baltic friends.”
Senator Durbin continues to support U.S.-Baltic relations leading congressional efforts to authorize and appropriate the Baltic Security Initiative, with $200 million in funding secured for FY26. On March 18, Senator Durbin, along with Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus Co-Chair Senator Chuck Grassley, introduced the Baltic Security Assessment Act of 2026, requiring the Secretary of Defense and State to report to Congress on emerging threats to the region and opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-Baltic partnership.
JBANC will continue to work alongside Senator Durbin’s office to achieve robust funding for the Baltic Security Initiative in FY27 and garner support for the U.S.-Baltic security relationship in Congress.