(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Republican lawmakers and prominent conservative voices are up in arms over the recent Schumer-ordered relaxation of dress codes in the U.S. Senate, a move that has ignited a fiery debate about decorum and respect for Senate traditions.
Under the revised guidelines, unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Sunday, some senators can now don whatever attire they please while others entering the Senate chamber are still expected to adhere to the traditional standards.
As reported by Fox News, Criticism from Republicans was swift and forceful, with many of them asserting that Schumer announced the rules to accommodate Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., took to Twitter to express her dismay. “The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” Greene stated. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”
In response to Greene’s criticism, Fetterman defended the rule, saying, “Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings.”
Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings. https://t.co/a4sLQ7nSBL
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 18, 2023
However, Fetterman’s response did little to placate other critics. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., remarked, “If my interns can put on a suit so can a U.S. Senator.”
Fox News contributor Joe Concha chimed in, saying, “The Fetterman legacy is now cemented. Not for improving the lives of the state he represents, of course, but because he dresses like a sophomore in summer school.”
Former Trump advisor and America First Legal founder Stephen Miller joined the chorus of disapproval, questioning the Senate’s decision.
“So let me get this straight,” Miller wrote on Twitter. “The entire senate is jettisoning its storied history and debasing itself before the world to accommodate the slovenliness of one man, John Fetterman? Will a single Senator object to this humiliation?”
John Fetterman finds it hilarious that he’s turned the senate into a coddling daycare for an emotionally stunted man-child with severely arrested development. https://t.co/XLeGsRim8J
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) September 18, 2023
On a separate post, Miller added, “John Fetterman finds it hilarious that he’s turned the senate into a coddling daycare for an emotionally stunted man-child with severely arrested development.”
In a statement to Axios, Schumer championed the new rule, claiming, “Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit.”
