The brief and bizarre attempt to loosen up the dress code for senators has come to an end.
On Wednesday, lawmakers unanimously adopted a resolution to require formal business attire on the Senate floor.
The new dress code requires male senators to wear “a coat, tie, and slacks or other long pants.”
However, it did not specify a dress code for women.
The change comes after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) abruptly stated senators can “choose what they wear on the Senate floor.”
Axios notes the move was “widely viewed to be inspired” by Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who is known for wearing hoodies and shorts.
Fetterman tried to brush off the criticism of the dress code change, but it did not take long for him to avail himself of the lax dress rules. Days after the change was announced, he wore a short-sleeve shirt, shorts, and sneakers while presiding over the Senate.
AMERICA 2023 – Slob Fetterman presides over the United States Senate wearing a short-sleeve shirt, shorts, and sneakers. pic.twitter.com/e4wYtLOzy7
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) September 21, 2023
Schumer said in a statement about the new dress code, “Though we’ve never had an official dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path forward.”
“I deeply appreciate Senator Fetterman working with me to come to an agreement that we all find acceptable, and of course, I appreciate Sen. Manchin and Sen. Romney’s leadership on this issue,” he added.
And thus ends the bizarre moment we lived through when it looked like a trucker stumbled into the Capitol and made his way to the Senate floor.
Why Schumer thought this change was necessary right now is unclear when he has more important things to worry about like a blockade on military promotions and a looming government shutdown.
But in a time when we have lawmakers, more so in the House, acting like hooligans and participating in bizarre stunts and behavior beneath the dignity of the chamber, or commentators who think it was fine for people in bison hats and holding Confederate flags to wander through the Capitol, it is nice to see lawmakers stand up for decorum.
The Senate is not some social hall where anyone can be there looking however they want. And while it may seem stuffy to some, dressing up shows respect for the work being done there and for the voters who sent lawmakers to Congress to represent them and their interests.