C-SPAN has taken the opportunity to advertise its own merchandise to lawmakers after the Senate loosened its rules for attire in the chamber this week. “Now that the U.S. Senate will no longer enforce its dress code for members, this is the PERFECT time to order your C-SPAN hoodie!” communications director Howard Mortman tweeted, alongside a link to purchase the hoodie. C-SPAN, the public service channel dedicated to covering government affairs, sells seven varieties of its branded hoodie for about $40 alongside other apparel and accessories in its shop. The...

Senator J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican with roots in working-class Appalachia, has lamented the Senate’s relaxing of its dress code. Some senators worry that more casual dress might breed disrespect for Congress. Others argue that the harshest critics have already debased the institution, even in business attire. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio has accused President Biden of trying to inundate the heartland with fentanyl to “punish people who didn’t vote for him.” He has eagerly promoted the false claim that former President Donald J. Trump won the 2020 election. And...

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) poked fun at the new Senate dress code Monday, joking that she planned to wear a bathing suit on the Senate floor. “I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow to the Senate floor,” Collins joked to reporters. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the relaxation of the dress code earlier this week, saying that senators can now wear whatever they want to on the floor while staffers and outside visitors need to adhere to the business attire policy. “Senators are able to choose what they wear on...

Is it the Senate or a giant beach party? Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) joked that she will don a bathing suit for Senate votes while roasting the recent loosening of the dress code. “I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow to the Senate floor and Chris Coons is gonna wear shorts because there’s no dress code anymore,” Collins, 70, quipped to reporters Monday. “Obviously, I’m not going to wear a bikini,” she then clarified. “But the fact is, as I understand it, I could!” Collins was voicing her disdain for...

Breaking news relevant to only 100 Americans: The U.S. Senate will no longer enforce its dress code for members. Is this yet another sign of constitutional decadence, or is it a step into modernity for the fusty, antiquated chamber? Either way, it’s the best news ever for Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who would prefer to do business while looking like he’s on a Saturday-morning jog. “The Senate chamber isn’t your home, a gym, or an outdoor park,” wrote former congressman Justin Amash (I-Mich.) in a post on X, formerly known...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blasted the Senate on Monday over its dress code change, joining a chorus of Republicans criticizing the sartorial shift. The ire has focused on Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who regularly shows up in the Capitol wearing basketball shorts and hoodies, which was also his preferred outfit on the campaign trail. DeSantis, a former House member, said the Pennsylvania senator has “a lot of problems” during a press conference in Jacksonville on Monday, then honed in on his wardrobe. “So he would campaign in that which...

Over the weekend Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer nixed the dress code for U.S. Senators who enter the Capitol chamber, saying they no longer have to wear a suit and tie. Staffers are still required to wear business attire while their bosses are free to sport sweats. "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) quietly has directed the Senate's Sergeant at Arms to no longer enforce the chamber's informal dress code for its members," Axios reported Sunday. "Why it matters: The new directive will allow Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who tends...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has criticized the U.S. Senate and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) over a recent dress code policy the Senate has revised. The policy that was recently revised now allows Senators to choose what they wear on the Senate floor, a revision that will likely benefit Fetterman, who is well known to appear in the Senate wearing a hoodie and gym shorts combination over business attire. DeSantis, who did not mention Fetterman by name, criticized the Senate's revision of their dress code "because you got this guy...

After briefly donning a suit and tie for his first few months in Congress, Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, recently returned to wearing Carhartt sweatshirts and baggy shorts. Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, will no longer enforce the informal dress code for the chamber, which for decades has dictated that members wear business attire. In the tradition-bound halls of the Senate, customs die hard and rules can be next to impossible to change. But on Monday, with a potential government shutdown days away, a newly begun impeachment inquiry...