Read: 46 GOP senators slam Schumer's Senate dress code enforcement change
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Sen. John Fetterman on Capitol Hill last week. Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) led a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) with 45 other Republican senators on Monday criticizing his decision to no longer enforce the chamber's dress code for its members.
What they're saying: "The world watches us on that floor, and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs," said the letter, signed by all but three Republican senators.
- "Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent."
The big picture: The new directive enables Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to linger on the Senate floor before and after votes, per Axios' Hans Nichols and Barak Ravid, who first reported news of the rule's relaxation over the weekend.
- Fetterman has favored gym shorts and hoodies over the business attire traditionally required in the chamber since returning to the Senate after being treated for clinical depression earlier this year.
- He said Tuesday he didn't think the matter would be a big issue, per the New York Times. "The Republicans think I'm going to burst through the doors and start break dancing on the floor in shorts," he said.
Of note: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he told fellow Democrat Fetterman that he believed that relaxing the rules was "wrong," per the NYT.
What they're saying: Representatives for Schumer did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment, but he told Nichols and Ravid earlier: "Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit."
Read the letter in full, via DocumentCloud:
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Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Sen. Joe Manchin.
