What was Sen. Schumer’s rationale for relaxing dress requirement at Capitol Hill?

It is an interesting question. To start with there aren’t “formal” dress code requirements. There are standards that have been pushed since the beginning of the Senate. But Schumer is basically saying that standards don’t matter and he is formalizing that. Why? I believe the answer is obvious: to allow John Fetterman to dress like a slob.

^^So to get Fetterman’s vote, accomodate slobbiness. That’s his reason?

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@seawulf575 ‘s answer is a little simplistic. I don’t think it was only for Fetterman, although he seems to be getting all the attention.

Further, I think there’s a lot of distance between a formal suit and a sweatshirt. There’s some middle ground – (sports jacket, for example) that would do the trick.

But as I wrote yesterday, this is really an invented issue by the republicans to avoid governing.

I am against a dress code, but if we have to have one, can we get Jim Jordan to wear a jacket?

@mazingerz88 Not sure if it was slobbiness or if they are trying to call it depression. But since he is the only one that really was breaking the long standing traditions and was wearing sweatshirt/shorts it seems like it was solely for him.

@elbanditoroso Yes, it seems simplistic. But really, Fetterman was the only one I know of that was routinely dressing down (sweatshirt/shorts). That makes me think it was only for him, but they can’t adjust the rules for just one. Seems like they could if there was some legitimate reason for it, but there doesn’t seem to be anything tangible in this case.

@filmfann Different part of Congress. It might be worth looking to see if there are any dress codes for the House and if there are, then yes, he should be meeting them. It might just be that he has to have a jacket at certain times, it might be that he wears a jacket in and then takes it off…I don’t know what the rules are.

On anything that has Jordan on screen I have never seen him in a jacket.

No idea why he made a statement, but from articles I have read, Marjorie Taylor Green has shown up in the chamber sleeveless, which has been frowned upon in the past, but I don’t know how casual the outfit was. Reporters have been told they can’t be sleeveless. Maybe Schumer wanted to just officially say dress expectations are being relaxed and he will leave it up to the the representatives themselves to dress appropriately. If anyone is going to judge it will be the constituents of the congressmen.

I agree with @elbanditoroso that it is bullshit. Invented like the war on Christmas, and so many other distractions and artificial issues that either don’t exist or mean nothing.

@JLeslie It’s because the Republicans have no real platform going into 2024 besides huge tax cuts for the wealthy and cut any program the poor and working slob depend on, so it’s all deflect, deflect, spin spin spin, and distract.
That’s why they get all bent with things like this relaxed dress code.

@SQUEEKY2 I think it’s another “family values” or racist type whistle.

When I lived in the South I knew people who believed having to wear a shirt and tie uniform to school was why why kids did better in their careers, and so white kids were more prepared than Black kids for success, because Black kids mostly couldn’t afford to go to the private schools. White kids had practice dressing appropriately.

Crazy shit!

Also crazy in my mind is Black people calling a suit and tie white people’s clothing.

I’ve told this story before: a friend of mine who taught high school in Mississippi in the suburbs of Memphis moved to St. Louis and taught in the suburbs there. One of her comments to me was that now she understands that just because a kid has their shirt untucked or wear gym shorts to school it doesn’t mean they are delinquents.

Beats me.