Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., on Wednesday offered to “save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week” if House Republicans “stop trying to shut our government down.”
Fetterman issued the statement poking at congressional Republicans — or as he put it, “those jagoffs in the House” — as he was presiding over the Senate in shorts, a short-sleeve button-down shirt, and no tie.
His relaxed attire while presiding comes just days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quietly changed the Senate’s informal dress code to allow senators to wear whatever they want on the floor. It had previously required men and women to dress in business attire, although it was often flouted.
Fetterman, a first-term senator who’s often seen at the Capitol wearing a hoodie and shorts, is a prominent beneficiary of the new rule.
The loosened dress code has been ridiculed by Republicans.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia called the changes “terrible.” Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, “It stinks” and Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said, “it bothers me big time.”
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House Republicans are struggling to find a path to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to pass a funding bill but center-right and far-right factions of the party have been unable to come to a compromise.
It was not the first time Fetterman has made fun of his clothing tastes while also taking a jab at a Republican.
After Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said Monday that Fetterman “has got a lot of problems” and his dress is “dumbing down” standards, Fetterman tweeted out the video and wrote, “I dress like he campaigns.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
