Democrats are ditching the Senate dress code to accommodate the casually-dressed Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.
On Monday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that it will no longer enforce a dress code on the Senate floor after Fetterman was infamously seen wearing shorts as he went about his duties.
Fox confirms that the Senate will no longer enforce a dress code for senators. Senators can now what ever they want. However, others entering the chamber must comply with the dress code. Coats/ties for men. Business attire for women
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 17, 2023
“There has been an informal dress code that was enforced,” Schumer said in a statement. “Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit.”
While the Democratic leader did not specifically mention Fetterman, the change will only apply to senators and not staff.
The change prompted outrage among their Republican constituents, with many lawmakers accusing Schumer of changing the rules solely for fellow Democrat Fetterman.
“I represent the people of Kansas, and much like when I get dressed up to go to a wedding, it’s to honor the bride and groom, you go to a funeral you get dressed up to honor the family of the deceased,” said Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, adding that senators should have a certain level of decorum.
“I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow to the Senate floor,” Maine Sen. Susan Collins jokes.
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also chimed in to blast Fetterman’s casual sense of clothing.
“The U.S. Senate just eliminated its dress code because you got this guy from Pennsylvania — who’s got a lot of problems… he wears, like, sweatshirts and hoodies and shorts… we need to be lifting up our standards in this country, not dumbing down,” DeSantis said.
As for Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat dismissed the mock outrage and said that there are more important issues at hand.
“They’re freaking out, I don’t understand it,” he said of his critics. “Like, aren’t there more important things we should be working on right now instead of, you know, that I might be dressing like a slob?”
This comes after Fetterman checked himself into the hospital on Feb. 16 to get treatment for a “severe” bout of clinical depression. He also recently recovered from a stroke that occurred in May of last year, just days before the primary election.
