Government & Politics

Statehouse News Bureau

The Statehouse News Bureau provides educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations.

Russia bans Ohio congressional delegation and other state leaders

By Karen Kasler

Published May 27, 2022 at 5:00 PM EDT

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks during a rally to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine outside of the White House in Washington, Sunday, March 6, 2022. [Jose Luis Magana / AP] — Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks during a rally to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine outside of the White House in Washington, Sunday, March 6, 2022.

A list of nearly a thousand Americans and Canadians banned from traveling to Russia includes all 16 Ohio members of Congress and both the state’s U.S. Senators, along with three others.

The Russian government says all 12 Republican and four Democratic members of the U.S. House from Ohio are not welcome, including U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democrat running for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat.

“Banned from Russia — there goes the Siberian holiday with the family, I guess," Ryan said with a chuckle.

He and others on the banned list say they’re wearing that as a badge of honor.

Also on the list is Andy Futey, vice president of the World Ukrainian Congress and a former aide to the late George Voinovich, former governor and U.S. Senator. Futey now lives in the Cleveland area.

Republican U.S. Senate nominee J.D. Vance is not on the list. None of Ohio's current statewide officials are on the list, although they have also been criticalof Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

As far as former officials go, none of the former U.S. presidents are on the travel ban list. However, former Gov. John Kasich is on the list.

Kasich said, in a tweet, "Russia's foreign ministry released a list of Americans who are banned from entering the country and it’s a badge of honor to be among such good company on this list. I guess they're a little sensitive about people calling out Putin's murderous regime and unjust war in #Ukraine."

The full list of people banned from traveling to Russia:

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

Former Gov. John Kasich

Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus)

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo)

Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Cleveland)

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Howland)

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana)

Rep. Mike Carey (R-Columbus)

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville)

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Marietta

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati)

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Cincinnati)

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Bainbridge)

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Rocky River)

Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Lakeville)

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Troy)

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green)

Andy Futey