Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly eliminated the dress code for members of the Senate, seen as an appeal to the often casually dressed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
Fetterman — who, like Schumer, is a Democrat — often causes a stir on Capitol Hill by showing up in a hoodie and shorts, although Republicans like Ted Cruz have also been seen in sweatpants.
“Senators can choose what they wear in the Senate.” “I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said.
The previous rules required business attire in the Senate, i.e. suits and ties for men.
The change will help allow Fetterman, as well as lawmakers just coming from the airport or the gym, to vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly eliminated the dress code for members of the Senate, seen as an appeal to the often casually dressed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman
Previously, heads of state and government had to vote on the edge of the Senate chamber with one foot in the Senate cloakroom if they did not adhere to dress rules.
Joe Calvello, a spokesman for Fetterman, responded to the change by joking about a fringe conspiracy that there are body doubles appearing in the senator’s place since his stroke.
“Great day for John Fetterman’s body double, we don’t have to buy them any more suits,” Calvello quipped.
The dress code change isn’t the first that Democrats have pushed in recent years.
A few years ago, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, pushed for a dress code change, which led to some relaxed standards for women. However, this only happened after some debate by others.
That prompted Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema, a Democrat who left the country to become an independent, to wear sleeveless clothing on the floor.
“Senators can choose what they wear in the Senate.” “I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said
The rules stipulate that business attire prevails in the Senate, i.e. a suit and tie for men
Previously, heads of state and government had to vote on the edge of the Senate chamber with one foot in the Senate cloakroom if they did not adhere to dress rules
In May, Fetterman wore his favorite Carhartt hoodie as he appeared alongside several Democratic heavyweights, including Bernie Sanders, to tout progress in debt ceiling negotiations.
Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert expressed her disapproval of his clothing choices on Twitter, calling his outfit “truly unseemly.”
By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues all wore suits, ties and more formal footwear.
“John Fetterman redefined Casual Friday on a Thursday morning.” It’s really unseemly for anyone to act like that on any job, especially one for which only 100 people have been selected. “There’s just no excuse for this,” she complained.
By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues all wore suits, ties and more formal footwear at the debt limit briefing.
But for regular followers of Fetterman, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him in such casual attire.
During his time as mayor of Braddock and during his campaign for the Pennsylvania Senate, he was often seen wearing hoodies and shorts.
Fetterman recently returned to the Senate after a six-week hospitalization for clinical depression.
During this time he was also seen several times wearing a hoodie and shorts.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman wore his signature hoodie and shorts, prompting Rep. Lauren Boebert to express her disapproval on Twitter
Boebert previously criticized Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s choice of clothing during a Senate news conference, calling it “really unbecoming.”
Fetterman’s four Democratic colleagues wore suits and ties
Since his election, Fetterman has brought about some changes on Capitol Hill.
Fetterman was profiled for a Time magazine cover story in July and said it was his debate against Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz that led to his depressive episode.
He even revealed that he recorded a farewell message to his children after suffering a stroke last spring.
The senator still suffers from auditory processing problems 14 months after the stroke, requiring the Senate to update technology to allow him to participate.
Just days before the Democratic primary, Fetterman experienced his first major challenge in a year – the stroke.
While campaigning near Lancaster, Mrs Gisele noticed her husband’s face drooping and immediately drove him to hospital.
He easily won the Democratic primary and spent the day of his victory under anesthesia having a pacemaker inserted.
Time reported that Fetterman recorded a video message to his children – Karl, 14, Grace, 11, and August, 9 – in the event of his death.
Fetterman stayed away from the campaign trail for most of the summer to recover from the stroke.
However, by August he had returned and managed to get through a standard stump speech, making a few mistakes, but the debate was the event that really highlighted how much progress he still had to make towards a full recovery from a stroke to reach.
Despite the debate performance, Fetterman beat Oz, the Trump-backed TV doctor, by five points.