Caucus on Central Europe formed in Congress (07/11/99)

Caucus on Central Europe formed in Congress

WASHINGTON - A reception was held on Capitol Hill on June 29 to announce the formation of the Congressional Caucus on Central Europe (CCCE). The caucus, currently consisting of 30 members of the House of Representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties, is co-chaired by Reps. William Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Jack Quinn (R-N.Y.). Both congressmen represent districts with large Polish-American constituencies and strong Polish American Congress state divisions.

The CCCE will concern itself with issues related to Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and will be open to the other Central and Eastern European nations in the future. Community organizatons such as the Polish American Congress and political coalitions such as the Central and East European Coalition, whose membership includes representatives from the Baltic, Ukrainian and Belarusian communities as well, will be working closely with the new congressional caucus on issues of mutual interest such as security, trans-Atlantic cooperation, trade, investment and NATO englargement.

Ambassador Jerzy Kozminski of Poland spoke on behalf of the eight ambassadors who acted as hosts of the reception. He thanked the members of congress for American support concerning democratic and free market reforms in the region. The ambassador directed special words of gratitude towards the members of Congress for their efforts to expand NATO, and he expressed his conviction for the continuation of this process.

Mr. Kozminski declared readiness for further cooperation among the embassies of the region with Congress. He also remarked that it was symbolic that the occasion of creating the CCCE fell on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of reforms and transformations in Central and Eastern Europe.

The current members of the Congressional Caucus on Central Europe, in addition to its two co-chairs, are: Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.), David Bonior (D-Mich.), Robert Borski (D-Pa.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Michael Doyle (D-Pa.), Lane Evans (D-Ill.), Martin Frost (D-Texas), Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.), Steven Horn (R-Calif.), Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio), Matthew Martinez (D-Calif.), Karne McCarthy (D-Mo.), Mike McNulty (D-N.Y.), Gary Miller (R-Calif.), Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), John Edward Porter (R-Ill.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Bob Schaeffer (R-Colo.), Vic Snyder (D-Ark.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Jerry Weller (R-Ill.).

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