Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly done away with the dress code for members of the Senate, in what is seen as a way to appeal to the often casually dressed Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
Fetterman, like Schumer, a Democrat, often causes a stir among those following the action on Capitol Hill by appearing in a hooded sweatshirt and shorts, although Republicans like Ted Cruz have also been spotted in sweats before.
“Senators can choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said.
The rules state that business attire rules the Senate floor, which means suit and tie for men.
The change will help Fetterman, as well as lawmakers just arriving from an airport or the gym, to vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly abolished the dress code for members of the Senate in what is seen as a way to appeal to the often casually dressed Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
Previously, leaders had to vote from the edge of the Senate floor with one foot in the Senate wardrobe if they did not adhere to dress code rules.
Joe Calvello, a spokesman for Fetterman, responded to the change by joking about a fringe conspiracy that there have been 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 joked.
In May, Fetterman wore his favorite Carhartt hoodie as he appeared alongside several Democratic heavyweights, including Bernie Sanders, to tout progress in debt limit negotiations.
Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert took to Twitter to express her disapproval of his sartorial decisions, calling his outfit “truly inappropriate.”
By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues were all dressed in suits, ties and more formal footwear.
‘John Fetterman redefined Casual Friday on Thursday morning. It’s really unseemly for someone to show up like that for any job, let alone one that only 100 people have been chosen for. There’s just no excuse for it,” she scolded.
Democrat Senator John Fetterman wore his signature hoodie and shorts, prompting Representative Lauren Boebert to take to Twitter to voice her disapproval
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert previously denounced Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s clothing choice during a Senate press conference, describing it as “truly inappropriate.”
Fetterman’s four Democratic colleagues were dressed in suits and ties
By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues were all dressed in suits, ties and more formal footwear.
But for regular followers of Fetterman, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him wearing such casual clothes.
During his time as mayor of Braddock and during his campaign for the Pennsylvania Senate, he was often seen in a hoodie and shorts.
Fetterman only recently returned to the Senate after a six-week hospital stay for clinical depression.
During that time, he was also seen wearing a hoodie and shorts several times.
Fetterman has been the source of a number of changes on Capitol Hill since his election.
Fetterman was profiled for a cover story for Time magazine in July and said it was his debate against Republican Sen. hopeful Mehmet Oz that led to his depressive episode.
He even revealed that he recorded a farewell message for his children after suffering a stroke last spring.
The senator continues to suffer 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 primaries, Fetterman faced his first major challenge in a year: the stroke.
“Senators can choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said
The rules state that business attire rules the Senate floor, which means suit and tie for men
Previously, leaders had to vote from the edge of the Senate floor with one foot in the Senate cloakroom if they did not adhere to dress code
Fetterman, like Schumer, a Democrat, often causes a stir among those following the action on Capitol Hill by appearing in a hooded sweatshirt and shorts, although Republicans like Ted Cruz have also been spotted in sweats before.
While on the campaign trail in Lancaster, wife Gisele noticed her husband’s face starting to sag and immediately took him to a hospital.
He easily won the Democratic primary and spent the day of his victory sedated, having a pacemaker installed.
Time reported that Fetterman recorded a video message for his children — Karl, 14, Grace, 11, and August, 9 — in case he died.
Fetterman spent most of the summer off the campaign trail recovering from the stroke.
However, by August he had returned and was able to get through a standard stump speech, making some mistakes, but the debate was the event that really highlighted how much progress he still had to make to fully recover from a stroke.
Despite the debate performance, Fetterman defeated Oz, the Trump-backed TV doctor, by five points.