The U.S. Senate has voted to reinstate the dress code following defiance from Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
In a rare bipartisan vote, the Senate on Wednesday passed the “SHow Our Respect To the Senate” (SHORTS) act, which restores the dress code.
Romney on his resolution with Manchin on the Senate dress code: "We want those who serve inside this room in this hall to show a level of dignity and respect, which is consistant with the sacrifice they made and with the beauty of the surroundings." pic.twitter.com/t8znRtbVLF
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) September 27, 2023
This comes after Schumer announced earlier this month that the Senate would no longer enforce a dress code on the Senate floor after Fetterman was infamously seen wearing shorts as he went about his duties.
The change prompted outrage among critics, with many accusing Schumer of changing the rules solely for fellow Democrat Fetterman.
“[Schumer’s] decision is apparently connected to the desires of Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who enjoys parading around in gym shorts and a hoodie. Why would his desires receive such precedence?” Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan observed.
“Because he has political needs. He must double down on his brand. He imagines that dressing like a slob deepens his perceived identification with the working class. But this kind of thing doesn’t make you “authentic”; it just makes you a different kind of phony,” Noonan continued.
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also slammed the move during his campaign event recently.
“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.
Fetterman, in response, posted a meme with a promotional photo of Kevin Smith as his character Doug Hefferman in the popular sitcom, “King of Queens.” Hefferman is a fictional working-class hero.
“He mocked critics, making woo-woo monster sounds to reporters and telling a House critic to ‘get your s— together.’ He said Republicans were “losing their minds” and ought to have better things to do,” Noonan noted of the Pennsylvania Democrat’s reluctance to adhere to the dress code.
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.
