Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) intends to introduce a resolution next week to reinstate the chamber’s dress code, which the majority leader, Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), recently tossed out to make an exception for Senator Fetterman’s (D., Pa.) preferred casual attire.
The proposal, first reported by the Hill and confirmed by multiple outlets, would restore business attire on the Senate floor, requiring coats and ties for men and dresses and suits for women. Though never enshrined into rule, most members generally understood and accepted the code for decades. Earlier this week, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer directed the Senate’s Sergeant at Arms to stop enforcing it.
The standards dropped after Fetterman routinely started showing up to work in garb such as hoodies and basketball shorts. Fetterman wore this uniform even as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited Capitol Hill Thursday to meet with lawmakers. The senator has capitalized on the frenzy, announcing Wednesday the release of new merchandise reading “I vote in this hoodie” and making fun of Republican criticism.
In response to Schumer’s move, a group of 46 GOP senators led by Senator Rick Scott (R., Fla.) demanded in a letter that Schumer bring back the expectation of style decorum. The letter, without mentioning Fetterman, affirmed that the rules relaxation disrespects and undermines the institution of the Senate.
A chorus of Republicans condemned the change, with Senator Susan Collins (R., Maine) joking with reporters that she could now “wear a bikini” on the Senate floor.
“This rule change stinks and it’s unprecedented. I’ll be wearing a suit and necktie on the Senate floor as I’ve always done and has been expected of senators for nearly 240 years,” Senator Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) said. “If you can’t count on the Majority Leader of the United States Senate to uphold decorum, who can you count on?”
Manchin’s planned proposal is the first attempt from the other side of the aisle to return the dress code. He will bring forth the resolution “to ensure the Senate dress code remains consistent with previous expectations,” a Manchin spokesperson told Forbes.