Senate all ‘business’ on attire

Hobo ‘Fetterman Rule’ reversed

The Senate passed a bipartisan resolution Wednesday to restore the formal dress code in the upper chamber following blowback over the loosening of the unofficial rule.

Under the resolution, which passed unanimously, senators will once again be required to wear business attire on the floor.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed a rollback of the dress code last week and the move was quickly dubbed the “Fetterman Rule” over Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s penchant for wearing hoodies and baggy shorts.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who publicly split with Fetterman over the lax wardrobe, sponsored the resolution, along with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

Earlier Wednesday, before the resolution was passed, Fetterman assured his Democratic colleagues he would wear a suit while speaking or presiding over the Senate floor, Punchbowl News reported. Last week, Fetterman (pictured) took advantage of the short-lived loosened dress code and presided over Senate proceedings with his classic baggy shirt and large shorts.

He’s also known for donning a hoodie in the Capitol complex area.

But under the resolution, men on the Senate floor must wear “a coat, tie and slacks or other longer pants.”

Many senators voiced outrage over the lowering of standards. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), for instance, joked about wearing a bikini.

Nearly every Republican senator signed a letter complaining about the change. The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), even voiced his disagreement with the move.

Notably the loosening of the dress code only applied to senators. Visitors and staffers were still required to wear the classified coat and formal clothing.

Manchin claimed to have confided his misgivings to Fetterman himself before moving to reverse the change.

Before the rollback of the Senate dress code, senators would often yell out “aye” or “nay” votes from the cloakroom to avoid breaching the rules.

In his private remarks to Democrats on Wednesday, Fetterman said he’ll continue to vote from the cloakroom if he’s not wearing a suit, according to Punchbowl.

Fetterman had practically abandoned any semblance of adherence to the code since returning to the Senate from his multiweek hospital stint for clinical depression.

The 54-year-old senator was elected to the upper chamber during the 2022 cycle and marked the only Senate flip of that year.