Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is circulating a proposal to reestablish the Senate’s dress code, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) loosened over the weekend to allow senators to wear whatever they want on the Senate floor, according to senators familiar with the proposal.
One person familiar with the resolution said it would essentially return the Senate dress code to what it was last week, which required senators to wear coats and ties or business attire when on the Senate floor.
“I’ve signed it,” said one senator, who explained it would “define what the dress code is.”
Schumer’s decision appeared aimed at catering to first-term Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), whose hoodie was a signature look on the campaign trail in 2022 and who wore a dark short-sleeved collared shirt and dark shorts to work Thursday.
But the decision to loosen the dress code is getting bipartisan pushback, including from Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), who says the Senate should have standards.
“The senator in question from Pennsylvania is a personal friend, but I think we need to have standards when it comes to what we’re wearing on the floor of the Senate, and we’re in the process of discussing that right now as to what those standards will be,” Durbin told “The Briefing with Steve Scully” on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel.
“I think the Senate needs to act on this,” Durbin said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) described the bipartisan group of senators who want to restore the Senate dress code “the coalition of the rational.”
Cornyn said a Senate resolution will allow “other senators to speak” on the need for a dress code and predicted it will come to the floor.
“It’s just ridiculous that we should have to conform the dress code to the lowest common denominator,” he said.
Can’t let the commoners picture themselves as Senators
Again, fuck Machine.
Yea, fuck machines. Fucking skynet.
It seems that American politics have no serious, pressing problems at the moment.
Manchin is worth less than dog shit. Die already you stupid waste of flesh.
It bothers me that he is trying to dunk on his own leadership. Why? Just to call attention to a perceived failing. What a douche.
It bothers me that he is trying to dunk on his own leadership.
He knows he is the party leadership.
I guess they have to do something with all the time they used to spend governing the nation.
Are they not realizing they can still wear a suit if they want to? Why does it need to be codified?
I’m not defending Joe Manchin in any way, but if I was elected to the US Senate the least I could do is dress business casual or better. Am I the only one here who thought the “hoodies and sweatpants” look Fetterman was rocking was somewhat demeaning to the office and institution?
At any rate, putting the specifics of this being the US Senate aside… who walks into a workplace as a first term newbie and demands the dress code be changed to suit their own whims? Doesn’t it make sense to at least try to follow the existing rules and then push for changes once you’ve made a good-faith effort to conform?
Can you explain how this matters? Are the laws he writes worse for it? Does his vote count for less? Is he a less capable orator or thinker for it?
It’s respectability theater, it’s stupid meaningless bullshit, and we should have dropped it long ago, as best I can tell. It’s a complete waste of time for everyone to be hemming and hawing about this, when we should as a species get over what the shape of the false skins other people wear for warmth and privacy are.
Am I the only one here who thought the “hoodies and sweatpants” look Fetterman was rocking was somewhat demeaning to the office and institution?
No, you’re not the only one, but everyone who agrees with you is a complete piece of shit. So maybe reconsider what you’re actually mad about. What respect does the office or the institution current demand? Consider the conduct of well-dreseed congress members over the last 60 years. How many felonies and treasons and violations of human rights were committed by people wearing the proper attire. How are those not greater transgressions than revealing your man calves while presiding over the floor?
I couldn’t give a shit what they wear at this point. They aren’t having many meaningful discussions for Americans, and the actions of our elected officials are more demeaning than a dress code violation. Furthermore, it is far from the most important decision they should be focusing on right now.
As for being the new guy on the job and conforming, I disagree. He’s an elected officials, not an employee. He won in part by being dressed like normal folks. Furthermore, we have all the proof we need to understand that there’s not a lot of good faith communication happening across party lines, even by those dressed up all fancy.
I say this from the bottom of my heart: If I got to choose a dress code, I would force them to all be dressed up as clowns.
Edited a typo.
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I think Fetterman’s showing the senate level of reverence it deserves.
Right? Honestly, they should set up a dress code requiring powdered wigs and dress coats. Maybe even shoes with heels.
Am I the only one here who thought the “hoodies and sweatpants” look Fetterman was rocking was somewhat demeaning to the office and institution?
Have you seen the dumb bullshit that the republicans have been pulling the last two decades? The office can’t be demeaned any further than the jokes that are in office now. Honestly, I’d take a hundred representatives rocking hoodies and sweatpants if it meant we could fire the sedition caucus.
I think it’s completely absurd to discuss this when we’re also dealing with the fallout from a literal attempted coup. Let’s get back to everyone agreeing that democracy is good before we worry about silly stuff like a dress code.
I’m glad that with all the monumental problems facing us right now, we’ve got our priorities in the right place.
Working on the important stuff.
he’s shittin hims pants
If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week. <- Fetterman
What a fuckin pimp
Fetterman and his army of cloned Fetterman should run for every seat in the house and senate. Might actually get stuff done.
Fetterman and his army of cloned Fetterman
The Fettermen™
Any Senator that thinks this deserves any attention at all prior to passing budget and avoiding or more likely ending a shutdown is unfit for their office. Worrying over what your coworkers are wearing instead of dealing with an eminent crisis demonstrates poor judgement and an inability to properly prioritize your duties. If something like this does reach a vote before a budget is in place for the next fiscal year I would hope a majority of Senators would vote present in protest of the body’s failure to act in the best interests of the nation.
These are our elected leaders, who could be working on reforming education, building infrastructure, improving healthcare or any number of policy goals that help the American people and better the country as a whole. And instead they’re bickering about a fucking dress code, all while the government is facing an impending shutdown.
I’ve said it before, can’t remember about what but it’s sad that it needs to be repeating.
Is there much the Senate can do right now about that? Doesn’t it have to pass the House first, then it comes to them? Seems like they’re killing time until it’s their turn.
Each house of Congress passes their own set of 12 resolutions proposing appropriations for various departments of the government then representatives of each house use those resolutions as a basis to negotiate a set of joint resolutions that has to pass both houses to be sent to the President for signature or veto. The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced all 12 resolutions for consideration by the full Senate in July. Thus far the Senate has not passed any of these resolutions.
Oh come on, Durbin, you’re better than that.
Make them all wear drag.
Centrist??? Center of what??
Center of democrats and fully batshit insane?
Of my ass.
