The Senate voted to reinstate its formal dress code, putting an end to the “John Fetterman Rule" that allowed for casual attire on the Chamber floor. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Senate Unanimously Ends ‘John Fetterman Rule’ and Reinstates Dress Code

September 28, 2023

3 min read

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The United States Senate voted on Wednesday to reinstate its formal dress code, putting an end to the short-lived “Fetterman Rule.” Senators will now officially be required to wear business attire while on the chamber floor, reversing last week’s decision that allowed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman to continue wearing sweatshirts and shorts.

The so-called “Fetterman Rule” came in the form of a statement from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) instructing the Sergeant at Arms to no longer enforce unofficial dress code policies. While it has long been expected for Senators to dress professionally (coats and ties for men, loosely defined business attire for women), these standards were never formally codified.

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“Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer told CBS News at the time.

The prime motivation for what was supposed to be a quiet easing of the dress code seemed to be freshman Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), who dresses for comfort during Senate proceedings and press conferences with President Joe Biden. Fetterman, who suffered a stroke during his campaign for office in 2022, has been subjected to criticism for his attire as well as his questionable mental capacity and physical performance stemming from his medical complications. Backlash over the new policy led to it being dubbed “the Fetterman Rule” despite its lack of an official title.

In response to the new dress code accommodations, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) proposed the SHORTS Act to officially establish a standard for male Senators. Female dress codes are not addressed. Wednesday’s expedited vote on the bill returned unanimous approval.

“Just over a week ago, we all learned that there were not — in fact — any written rules about what Senators could and could not wear on the floor of the Senate. So Senator Romney and I got together and we thought maybe it’s time that we finally codify something that was the precedented rule for 234 years,” Manchin said.

Fetterman has reportedly reached a deal with his Senate colleagues allowing him to keep his trademark casual attire in the cloakroom while donning a suit for official Chamber proceedings. The Pennsylvania senator’s only public comment on the SHORTS Act was a meme of “King of Queens” actor Kevin James shrugging.