WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Learning that a country has barred you from entering its borders or participating in its economy can be big news. But for congress members from Tennessee, reports of Russia sanctioning them were shrugged off.
On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Russia had sanctioned almost 400 members of the U.S. Congress in response to sanctions from the U.S. that were issued because of the country's invasion of Ukraine. Eight of Tennessee's nine congress members were on the list.
Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen (D - Shelby County) was the only one from Tennessee to avoid the sanctions. He still posted on Twitter mocking them.
Meanwhile, other Congress members poked fun at the list. It included a mix of Republican and Democrat lawmakers, all of whom can no longer enter Russia's borders.
Tim Burchett (R - 2nd District) waved off the sanctions, saying he was not interested in traveling to the country anyway. Meanwhile, Rep. Mark Green (R - 7th District) said he was honored to have sanctions levied against him. He went on to say he would continue supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia while condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R - 3rd District) echoed those sentiments. He also posted an image from Russia's announcement where it showed his name. He was number 353 on the list of congress members.