Rep. Greg Pence
Russia has imposed sanctions on hundreds of members of Congress — including Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, and other members of Indiana’s congressional delegation.
The Russian foreign ministry announced Wednesday what it described as “mirror sanctions” against 398 members of the U.S. House of Representatives in retaliation for similar measures taken by the U.S. Treasury last month against Russia’s lower level of parliament, known as the Russian State Duma, according to Russian state news agency Tass and several U.S. news outlets.
The announcement from the Russian government comes amid rounds of increased sanctions against Russia stemming from its invasion of Ukraine, which is now in its seventh week.
Pence has expressed opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last month, Pence voted in favor of a bill that would suspend normal trade relations with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
The second-term congressman from Columbus also voted in favor of military aid for Ukraine, but voted against provisions of a spending bill that provided humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people.
The sanctions list includes House members House members from both parties, including Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, among others. The Russian government added that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, had previously been blacklisted from entering Russia.
All nine House members representing Indiana also were included in the list, including Republicans James Baird, Larry Bucshon, Jim Banks, Jackie Walorski, Victoria Spartz and Trey Hollingsworth, as well as Democrats André Carson and Frank Mrvan.
The sanctions, which bar the members of Congress from entering Russia, come three weeks after the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against 328 members of the 450-seat Russian State Duma. The move blocked the 328 members’ property and interests in the United States and bars all transactions with U.S. citizens, according to a statement from the U.S. Treasury.
“Russian Duma members supported the Kremlin’s efforts to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including through treaties recognizing the self-proclaimed independence of areas of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia’s proxies,” the U.S. Treasury said in a statement at the time.
Last week, the U.S. rolled out a new wave of financial sanctions against Russia that President Joe Biden said would place a lasting penalty on the country’s economy, The Associated Press reported.
Making it personal, the U.S. sanctions singled out the Putin’s family, targeting his two adult daughters in addition to blocking two key Russian banks.
In addition to sanctions aimed at Putin’s adult daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, the U.S. is targeting Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russia’s Security Council, including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister, according to wire reports.
The penalties cut off all of Putin’s close family members from the U.S. financial system and freeze any assets they hold in the United States.
Currently, it is unclear why Russia selected those 398 members of Congress. Russia said in the statement “further announcements of Russian countermeasures are planned in the near future.”
Story by Andy East, of The (Columbus) Republic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
