Russia sanctions 398 House members, including 4 representatives from Long Island

WASHINGTON — Russia placed sanctions on four Long Island representatives to Congress — along with another 394 U.S. House members — in a retaliatory move Wednesday for U.S. sanctions on members of the Russian State Duma.

Russia said it was taking the action after the United States announced on March 24 it would put sanctions on 328 of the 450 legislators in the Duma, a lower house of parliament, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in February.

Russia said its sanctions would mirror those of the United States on its legislators. The Biden administration blocked all property the 328 Duma members hold in the United States and banned them from dealings with U.S. citizens.

“These persons, including the leadership and chairmen of the committees of the lower house of the U.S. Congress, are included in the Russian ‘stop list’ on an ongoing basis,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a release by Interfax.

“Together with other current legislators, who, like Speaker N. [Nancy] Pelosi, were denied entry to the Russian Federation earlier, all U.S. congressmen were subjected to ‘listing’ on the basis of reciprocity,” it said.

Russia listed each of the 398 House members by name that it had sanctioned, including Long Island’s Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City), Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).

Not on the list: Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans), who represents a slice of Nassau County, and serves as the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

“This is a list I’m proud to be on. We must always stand up in the face of the kind of brutality and tyranny Russia has displayed,” Garbarino said in a statement.

“It’s a great honor to be sanctioned by Vladimir Putin and the Russians,” said Suozzi in a phone interview. “The only greater honor would be if the Chinese Communist Party sanctioned me also.”