The US Senate rallied itself against slovenly attire with a vote against what became known as “The Fetterman Rule” during its brief reign, which was Sen. Chuck Schumer’s modification of the formerly informal, but strictly enforced, Senate “business attire” dress code. Under the new rule, named for shorts and hoodie-wearing Sen. John Fetterman, there was no dress code for Senators.
Fortunately for Americans who still desire some vestige of respectability and decency in the Upper Chamber of the legislature, the Senate just approved by unanimous consent a resolution codifying the pre-Fetterman Rule expectation of dress for the Senate, so the body will return to requiring business attire on the Senate floor.
Even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the one behind the rule change that led to such outcry, admitted that moving back to formal dress and codifying it was the right call, saying, “Though we’ve never had an official dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path forward.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, who led the charge for getting rid of the Fetterman rule and returning to some form of decency in Senate dress, commented on the matter and described why the resolution was necessary in a press statement.
He said, “For 234 years, every Senator that has had the honor of serving in this distinguished body has assumed there were some basic written rules of decorum, conduct and civility, one of which was a dress code. Just over a week ago, we all learned that there were not – in fact – any written rules about what Senators could and could not wear on the floor of the Senate.”
Continuing, he described what the resolution would do, saying, “So Senator Romney and I got together and we thought maybe it’s time that we finally codify something that was the precedented rule for 234 years. We drafted this simple two-page resolution that’ll put all of this to bed once and for all, by codifying the long-standing practice into a Senate Rule and making it very clear for the sergeant of arms to enforce.”
Senator Romney, for his part, said, “The United States Capitol is more than just a place of work—it serves as a symbol of freedom and democracy to the world. Hard work was done, and sacrifices made, to ensure that our legislative branch of government wasn’t just housed in some tent. As senators, we should demonstrate a high level of reverence for the institution in which we serve—and our attire is one of the most basic expressions of that respect. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to call for a return to a level of dress becoming of the Senate.”
Meanwhile, the House and Senate are unable to agree on a budget, as a contingent of House Republicans is demanding the legislature start taking the debt and deficit into account by slashing spending, which is holding up the otherwise spendthrift legislative body. But at least they’ll all now be well-dressed for the dysfunction.
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