The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday to restore the formal dress code in the upper chamber following blowback over the loosening of the rule.
Under the resolution, which passed unanimously, senators will once again be required to wear business attire on the floor.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed a rollback of the dress code last week and the move was quickly dubbed the “Fetterman Rule” over Sen. John Fetterman’s penchant for wearing hoodies and baggy shorts.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who publicly split with Fetterman (D-Penn.) over the latter’s lax wardrobe, sponsored the resolution.
After reportedly assuring members in private that he would abide by the formal dress code in the Senate chambers going forward, Fetterman quickly trolled the press.
Last week, Fetterman took advantage of the loosened dress code and presided over Senate proceedings with his classic baggy shirt and large shorts.
He’s also shown a penchant for donning a hoodie in the Capitol complex area.
But under the resolution, men on the Senate floor must wear “a coat, tie and slacks or other longer pants.”
Many senators voiced outrage over the lowering of standards.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.), for instance, joked about wearing a bikini.
Nearly every Republican senator signed a letter complaining about the change. No. 2 Senate Democrat, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Il.) even voiced his disagreement with the move.
Notably the loosening of the dress code only applied to senators.
Visitors and staffers were still required to don the classified coat and formal clothing.
Manchin claimed to have confided his misgivings about the change to Fetterman himself, before moving to reverse the change.
Before the rollback of the Senate dress code, senators would often yell out “aye” or “nay” votes from the cloakroom to avoid breaching the rules.
Fetterman had practically abandoned any semblance of adherence to the code since returning to the Senate from his multi-week hospital stint for clinical depression.
The 54-year-old senator was first elected to the upper chamber during the 2022 cycle and marked the only Senate flip of that year.