New Delhi: The US Senate has voted to formally impose a dress code, unanimously rejecting a plan to allow lawmakers to wear casual clothes in the chamber.
Last week, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ended up enforcing an informal and unwritten code that requires senators to wear business attire on the floor.
The change was widely seen as a move to accommodate Democratic Senator John Fetterman, angering Republicans.
Members of both parties voted for a resolution establishing a dress code.
Since returning to work in April after treatment for clinical depression, Mr. Fetterman has consistently worn hoodie sweatshirts and shorts. He voted on behalf of the chamber to stay within the unwritten dress code.
But under the new, revised simple code, MPs will be required to wear “business attire” in the House.
However, the bipartisan proposal defined business attire only for men, describing it as coat, tie, and long trousers. It did not address sleeve length or neckline height for women’s clothing, two sources of controversy in recent years.
There was no mention of shoes or hat.
The resolution would also require the chamber to vote on any changes to the code or its enforcement.
Senator Joe Manchin, the Democratic author of the resolution, said many lawmakers did not know the code had not been written until September 18, when Mr Schumer instructed the Senate sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing it.
Mr Schumer had said senators could wear whatever they wanted, including suits and ties, and some lawmakers appeared eager to give speeches or vote in sweats or shorts.
Schumer relaxes US Senate dress code to allow hoodies
The Republican author of the proposal, Mitt Romney, said that adhering to an official code would allow senators to show their “respect and appreciation” for the institution of government.
In a speech, Mr Romney said formalizing the dress code was not the most important issue for the US Congress, where contentious political fights are pushing the government to a shutdown within days.
“But still, it’s a good thing,” he said. “This is another example of Republicans and Democrats being able to work together.”
Senators have long worn more casual clothing in other parts of the Capitol, and then changed clothes to enter the chamber.
When Mr. Schumer relaxed the code, Republican critics attacked Mr. Fetterman on social media for weakening etiquette in the Senate.
In response to the motion presented on Wednesday, Mr. Fetterman posted on Twitter a photo of X, formerly the actor Kevin James, who plays Doug Hefferman of the sitcom King of Queens. Dressed in flannel, T-shirt and jeans, James smiles half-heartedly and shrugs.
