By Mary Lou Masters
Daily Caller News Foundation
Nearly all Senate Republicans signed a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday criticizing the chamber’s new relaxed dress code as disrespectful.
Schumer announced on Sunday that the upper chamber would no longer be requiring a dress code, which previously required men to wear a coat and tie and women to wear business attire, permitting them to wear whatever they want to. GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida spearheaded the letter denouncing the change, which has informally become known as the “Fetterman Rule” after Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who often wears sweatshirts to work.
“The Senate is a place of honor and tradition, and the Senate floor is where we conduct the business of the American people,” the letter reads. “It is where we debate the policies which impact every American family and, when necessary, it is where we must make the gravest decision imaginable – whether to send our fellow Americans into battle to defend the freedoms we all hold dear. The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs.”
Only three Republicans did not sign the letter — Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Mike Braun of Indiana and Katie Britt of Alabama. Scott wrote in a tweet that members should be respectful and “dress like a grown up.”
The Senate floor is a special place. It's not hard to show it some respect and dress like a grown up.https://t.co/jQU6fEwVsa
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) September 19, 2023
“Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent. We the undersigned members of the United States Senate write to express our supreme disappointment and resolute disapproval of your recent decision to abandon the Senate’s longstanding dress code for members, and urge you to immediately reverse this misguided action,” the letter reads.
Fetterman has previously received criticism from conservatives for his casual attire on Capitol Hill, which has escalatedacross social media following the new rule changing the upper chamber’s dress code.
Sen. John Fetterman is free to wear a hoodie after the Senate’s informal dress code has been quietly ditched by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Senators now have the thumbs-up to wear whatever they want on the floor, several outlets detailed Monday. pic.twitter.com/TmatNE5sug
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 18, 2023
“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote in a tweet Sunday. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”
“Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings,” Fetterman replied to Greene, referring to when she showed explicit images from Hunter Biden’s laptop during a hearing in mid-July.
Schumer did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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