Shuran Huang for The Washington Post via Getty Images
- The Senate has relaxed its dress code, allowing senators to wear any attire in the chamber.
- Ted Cruz, who sometimes walks to votes in workout clothes, was less angry about the change than others.
- But he says he won’t take advantage of the rule change and «will continue to only wear a suit and tie.»
The Senate has done away with its dress code, and John Fetterman isn’t the only one who stands to benefit from it.
The new policy, first reported by Axios, will allow senators to wear any attire they please in the Senate chamber. Though senators sometimes wear less-than-formal attire on Capitol Hill — most often when they’ve just gotten off a flight — they generally can’t wear it onto the floor, forcing them to cast their votes via hand gestures at the door.
Fetterman, the recently-elected Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, frequently wears informal clothing such as hoodies and shorts at the Capitol.
But he’s not alone: Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is also known to wear workout clothes from time to time, especially around unexpected afternoon votes.
—bryan metzger (@metzgov) July 21, 2022
Many of Cruz’s Republican colleagues, and even one Democrat, have expressed outrage at the change.
«I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow to the Senate floor,» Republican Sen. Susan Collins joked to reporters, saying the change «debases the institution.»
Republican Sen. Mike Lee referenced the decline of the Roman Empire as he criticized the change.
But Cruz, curiously, isn’t exactly fuming about the change.
«Every senator will have to decide how he or she dresses,» he told Bloomberg on Monday. «In the 11 years I’ve been in the Senate, I’ve only been on the Senate floor in a suit and tie, and as far as I’m concerned, I will continue to only wear a suit and tie on the Senate floor.»
«It’s up to each senator to make that decision,» he added.
—Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) September 18, 2023
And on Twitter, Cruz has made light of the changes, assuring his followers that he will not be wearing a speedo on the Senate floor.
—Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 19, 2023
мысли на память
"Нужно научиться принимать боль и использовать ее как топливо в нашем странствии. Кэндзи Миядзава"