Manchin Eyeing Proposal to Re-establish Senate Dress Code  

Senator Joe Manchin is circulating a proposal to reestablish the Senate’s dress code, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer loosened over the weekend to allow senators to wear whatever they want on the Senate floor. The proposal would return the Senate dress code to last week, which required senators to wear coats, ties, or business attire when on the Senate floor. Schumer’s decision appeared aimed at catering to first-term Sen. John Fetterman, whose hoodie was a signature look on the campaign trail in 2022.

However, the decision to loosen the dress code is getting bipartisan pushback, including from Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who believes the Senate should have standards. Sen. John Cornyn described the bipartisan group of senators who want to restore the Senate dress code as “the coalition of the rational.” Cornyn said a Senate resolution will allow other senators to speak on the need for a dress code and predicted it will come to the floor.