Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) made a casual statement on Tuesday as he strolled through the Capitol in shorts, sneakers, and a baggy, button-up short-sleeve shirt. His relaxed attire has drawn attention due to a recent relaxation of the Senate’s dress code rules, announced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“America…it’s about freedom and choice,” Fetterman told The Hill, emphasizing the significance of the changes to the Senate dress code. “It’s like a Burger King ‘You Rule’ kind of thing.”
Historically, the Senate has enforced a strict dress code for its members, requiring men to wear suits, ties, and business attire while on the Senate floor. However, these rules will continue to apply to staff and outside visitors.
Under the new rules, more casual attire, such as hoodies, sneakers, or gym wear, will be permissible for senators on the go.
Whether this becomes the norm, especially in light of some criticism of the dress code change, remains uncertain.
On Tuesday, male senators attending the weekly caucus lunches still wore coats and ties, with the exception of Fetterman, who opted for shorts and a more casual shirt.
Many senators have expressed their intentions to continue wearing traditional attire in the chamber, and several Republicans have voiced their disapproval of the dress code change.
“I believe most, if not all, Republican senators think we should dress up for work. So I can’t imagine that we’ll be wearing jeans on the Senate floor anytime soon,” stated Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Some criticisms of Fetterman and the dress code change have been quite pointed. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) referred to the new dress code as “disgraceful,” and conservative commentator Monica Crowley called Fetterman “a revolting slob.”
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) accused Democrats of attempting to “transform America, to take us to a place that is much less respectful than we historically have been.”
When directly asked about being a driving force behind the rule change, Fetterman denied involvement, saying, “No, I really wasn’t.”
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called for a reversal of the new rules, criticizing Schumer for making a “terrible choice.”
“Do you think judges should wear shorts and T-shirts when they’re sitting on the stand?” questioned Romney, who recently announced his retirement. “No, because we want to show respect for the institution of the judiciary. Likewise, this is the government of the United States of America.”
Even the left-leaning hosts of “The View” expressed their disapproval of the dress code change.
Some Democrats argue that the criticism directed at Fetterman and the new code is purely partisan.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) responded to Greene’s comments, accusing her of complaining about the dress code while her colleagues are risking a government shutdown at the end of September.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) echoed Smith’s sentiment, calling the Republican focus on the dress code amid looming shutdown concerns “wildly out of touch.”
However, not all critiques have been serious.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) jokingly stated that she plans to “wear a bikini” onto the Senate floor, while Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) sarcastically remarked that he might wear his “coaching outfit” during voting.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a fervent conservative lawmaker with a strong media presence, reassured his social media followers that he would not wear a Speedo onto the floor, responding to a remark from the conservative podcast “Chicks on the Right” regarding the potential creativity of lawmakers taking advantage of the rule change.
Some of Fetterman’s Democratic colleagues are also pushing back against the change.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) expressed his disagreement with Fetterman directly, stating that he believes the changes to the dress code are “wrong” and that not wearing traditional attire on the Senate floor “degrades” the chamber.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), wearing her “Barbie power pink suit,” seemed unperturbed by the updated dress code, commenting that “things have been a little loose for a while.”
Rosen argued against blaming Fetterman alone for the change, mentioning former Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who famously claimed to wear shoes with no socks.
“Let’s look back at the people who come from the gym, even if they stand in the hallway,” Rosen said. “Let’s look at all the men who wear cowboy boots and gym shoes on the floor. So let’s not blame one person for this. There are a lot of offenders.”
Fetterman, active on social media, defended the new dress code in response to the criticism he received.
“I figure if I take up vaping and grabbing the hog during a live musical, they’ll make me a folk hero,” he jokingly tweeted, alluding to the recent controversy surrounding Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) expressed his hope that there will be no loin cloths on the Senate floor in the near future, while acknowledging that the real benefit of the dress code change is for busy senators who need to dash between places and have conversations.
“For most of us, where it will make the most difference is when you’re stuck somewhere and they’re waiting for you on the floor, and you’ve got to dash to some place and there’s somebody you actually need to talk to, and you can do that,” he stated.
During a recent interview with CNN, Fetterman jokingly described the dress code change as “devastating.”
“It’s mystifying,” he said to the network. “I mean, there are much more important issues we should be addressing instead of focusing on how I dress.”
Al Weaver and Alexander Bolton contributed.
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