The U.S. Senate achieved a rare bipartisan milestone Wednesday when it passed the “SHow Our Respect To the Senate” (SHORTS) act, restoring the dress code and forcing Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to wear pants on the floor.
As Breitbart News reported earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) allowed the dress code to lapse in deference to Fetterman, who has adopted hoodies and shorts as part of a “working-class” persona.
The policy came under withering criticism from left and right. Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan wrote:
[Schumer’s] decision is apparently connected to the desires of Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who enjoys parading around in gym shorts and a hoodie. Why would his desires receive such precedence?Because he has political needs. He must double down on his brand. He imagines that dressing like a slob deepens his perceived identification with the working class. But this kind of thing doesn’t make you “authentic”; it just makes you a different kind of phony. Mr. Fetterman, born into affluence and privilege, reacted to criticism of Mr. Schumer’s decision with an air of snotty entitlement. He mocked critics, making woo-woo monster sounds to reporters and telling a House critic to “get your s— together.” He said Republicans were “losing their minds” and ought to have better things to do.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) objected, however, and joined Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) in proposing a resolution to put pants on the Pennsylvania Senator.
Got ahold of Manchin’s dress code resolution. It’s called “SHow Our Respect To the Senate Resolution’’ or the ‘‘SHORTS Resolution.”
It only pertains to men, and says they must wear a “coat, tie, and slacks or other long pants” https://t.co/w2iE2ioEf5
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) September 26, 2023
The resolution passed by unanimous consent, meaning no Senator objected vocally to the proposal.
Fetterman responded by mocking the Senate, posting a meme with a photo of Kevin James:
https://t.co/YhYZJfXsHM pic.twitter.com/sV9NiaAswJ
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 27, 2023
James played Doug Hefferman, a fictional working-class hero on the TV series King of Queens who wore shorts as a delivery driver.
