Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) criticized the Senate and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) over a recent dress code policy the Senate has revised.
The policy that was recently revised allows senators to choose what they wear on the Senate floor, which will likely benefit Fetterman, who is well known for appearing in the Senate wearing a hoodie and gym shorts over business attire. DeSantis, who did not mention Fetterman by name, criticized the Senate’s revision of its dress code “because you got this guy from Pennsylvania” with “a lot of problems.”
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“Like how he got elected. Well, he got elected because they didn’t want the alternative, but he wears sweatshirts and hoodies and shorts, and that’s his thing,” DeSantis said. “So, he would campaign in that, which is your prerogative, right? I mean, if that’s what you want to do, but to show up in the United States Senate with that and not have the decency to put on proper attire, I think it’s disrespectful to the body, and I think the fact that the Senate changed the rules to accommodate that, I think speaks very poorly to how they consider that.”
DeSantis added that people should be “lifting up our standards in this country” instead of “dumbing down” the standards and that the recent amendment to the Senate’s dress code is a reason why people need to increase their standards.
On social media, Fetterman responded to DeSantis’s comments by stating that he dresses the way DeSantis campaigns, potentially a reference to the governor falling behind former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary race for president.
I dress like he campaigns https://t.co/IXgGmIRNb4
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) September 18, 2023
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that while senators can wear what they choose, he will “continue to wear a suit” despite the dress code amendment.
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Staff members will still be required to follow the old dress code.
Though Fetterman is most known for his casual attire preferences, the long-standing dress code has been circumvented numerous times by lawmakers who arrive at the United States Capitol to vote after spending time at the gym or another casual event. In the past, lawmakers in these circumstances would vote from the edge of the Senate floor, with one foot still in the cloakroom.
