Senate Ditches Dress Code

FILE - Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., waves to members of the media, Monday, April 17, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The stuffy Senate is now a bit less formal.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says staff for the chamber’s Sergeant-at-Arms will no longer enforce a dress code on the Senate floor.

The change comes after Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has been unapologetically wearing shorts as he goes about his duties, voting from the doorways so he doesn’t get in trouble for his more casual attire.

Schumer says he will continue to wear a suit.

The dress code will only apply to senators, not staff.

The changes prompted outrage from some of the chamber’s more formal members.