What’s Happening:
Years of people working remotely and schlepping to work in their T-shirts and gym shorts brought a whole new meaning to working from home. But when people must be in the office for work there is an expected level of professional decorum in most workplaces.
But not the U.S. Senate, at least not anymore. Any political hack can stroll on the Senate floor or address a committee with raggedy threads that aren’t even suitable for remote work life.
Recently the hard-liner leader in the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), told the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing informal rules requiring members wear business attire on the Senate floor. That decision now faces a challenge from one of Schumer’s party pals and a majority of Republican senators.
From The Daily Wire:
“Next week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) intends to file a bipartisan resolution to ensure the Senate the dress code remains consistent with previous expectations,” a Manchin spokesperson told reporters on Thursday.
Schumer’s edict that caused the congressional conflict has been dubbed “The Fetterman Rule.” Freshman Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) regularly strolls through the halls of Congress sporting clothes that look like hand-me-downs from a clothing donation box. These include hoodies and gym shorts.
Manchin wants a return to dress code rules that are followed by everyone, and he has bipartisan support. Forty-six Republican senators, led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), signed a letter to Schumer demanding that he reverse his “misguided” decision. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said members opposing Schumer’s new dress code rules are “the coalition of the rational.”
The dress code conflict has sparked jokes and heavy criticism from political leaders and the news media, not to mention a wave of laughable memes on social media. Fetterman has been a target of critics and comedians since he took office.
Fetterman has displayed odd characteristics other than his choice of clothing. Previous news reports earlier this year show Fetterman, who returned after treatment for depression, skirted the dress code rules for the Senate floor by sticking his head in to vote from the doorway of the Democrat’s cloakroom or side entrance.
Fetterman’s personal presentation as a member of the stately Senate has been a point of public scrutiny. He presided over the Senate on Wednesday wearing a short-sleeve shirt and no tie. On Thursday, he wore the same casual attire for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Fetterman’s lack of fashion prowess doesn’t offer a strong example of how a statesman at the level of U.S. Senator should act.
Key Takeaways:
- S. Senate becomes focal point of criticism after new dress code change.
- Rule allowing casual attire faces “coalition of the rational” to restore order.
- Democrat joins Republicans to reverse order by Chuck Schumer.
Source: The Daily Wire
