People in glass houses! Slovenly Pennsylvania Dem. Senator John Fetterman slams American voters for not ‘sending their brightest and best’ to Congress

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has inspired ridicule and changes in policy over his notoriously casual attire in Congress, said Wednesday that American voters are not sending “their best and brightest” to Washington.

Fetterman, who wore his signature hooded sweatshirt and shorts on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, didn’t mince words when the liberal CBS host asked him if he was glad the Senate wasn’t the most dysfunctional branch of government.

“That’s a low bar,” quipped Fetterman, who used a second screen to caption after suffering a debilitating stroke that led critics to accuse him of looking incoherent, and conspiracy theorists that he said he has a double body.

He saved his harshest criticism, ostensibly for Republicans who he said put the government at risk of shutdown.

“You should all know that Americans are not sending their best and brightest to Washington DC,” the senator said. “Sometimes you literally just can’t believe that these people make the decisions that the government determines here, it’s actually scary.”

“I always tell people, don’t worry, please don’t worry. It’s much worse than you think.’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer loosened the chamber’s dress code in September, something Fetterman — who dressed while presiding over the Senate to jokes from colleagues — told Colbert he “never asked.”

“When I knew it was going to be announced, I was like, oh boy, here it comes,” he said. “But I was really struck by… ‘Oh my God, the world is going to burn because he’s going to wear a hoodie on the floor!’

As a joke, Colbert gave Fetterman a tuxedo t-shirt so the senator could be formal and casual at the same time.

Fetterman was previously forced to vote from the wings after refusing to dress appropriately. He said the clothes made him feel more comfortable and he received goodwill after treatment for depression earlier this year.

He also discussed his mental health and recovery from the stroke with Colbert and tried to hit back at people who sometimes found him incoherent, including during a debate with opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz.

“The better I get, the sadder Fox News gets because they love … every word I miss was like candy to Fox News. They even started thinking, there is a conspiracy that I now have a body double.’

Schumer’s dress code rule change – which applies to Senators and not staff – now means the 54-year-old self-confessed ‘slob’ is free to wear whatever he wants on the Senate floor.

The move angered Republicans who believe the Democrats are demeaning the hallowed institution.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins from Maine joked: ‘I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow.’

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said it was a “sad day in the Senate” and that the people representing Fetterman and Schumer should be embarrassed.

“I represent the people of Kansas, and just like when I dress to go to a wedding, it’s to honor the bride and groom, you go to a funeral, you dress to honor the family of the deceased ” Marshall said. Senators must have a certain level of decorum, the Republican added.

Fetterman earlier sparked controversy when he offered to ‘save democracy’ by wearing a suit next week – but only if Republicans ‘stop trying to shut down our government’.

Schumer later clarified in a statement that senators can now choose their attire on the Senate floor, though he said he personally plans to continue wearing a suit.

“There was a casual dress code that was enforced,” Schumer said in a statement. ‘Senators can choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit.’

It’s unclear if the rules for more formal attire are actually written down anywhere, but Schumer’s directive means staff will no longer berate senators for their choice of clothing or ask them to vote at the door.

Schumer said he would continue to wear a suit despite his prerogative to change the dress code, but Fetterman clearly took this change seriously.

He still managed to have some fun with the backlash he got, as he added to the plot that his body double is Homer Simpson.

Going along with the joke, Fetterman took to X and posted: ‘Senator Guy Incognito (D-PA),’ as he referred to a plot line in The Simpsons where the character learns he has a mustachioed doppleganger.

In the past, if a senator did not meet dress code requirements, they would have to shout ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ at the door to make it clear that they could not be visible to the cameras.

While many didn’t listen to the change in rules, some decided to join the casualness with Fetterman.

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar – traveling from Minnesota – and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski – traveling from Alaska – wore black pants, running shoes and casual shirts on Monday.