The United States Senate has abolished the official dress code for its staff.
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The United States Senate has abolished the official dress code for its staff. From now on, representatives of the upper house of the US Congress can wear whatever clothes they want. However, as NBC News reports, not all officials liked this decision and decided to take advantage of the new “freedom” to express their protest.
Thus, Republicans, on the contrary, ridiculed the relaxation of the dress code, saying that now American legislators will look more like tourists than representatives of one of the branches of government. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito called the decision “terrible” and Maine Sen. Susan Margaret Collins, 70, joked that she plans to wear her favorite bikini to the next meeting.
“I think there is a certain dignity in the Senate that we must maintain, and the rejection of a dress code, in my opinion, humiliates this institution of power,” Collins said.
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, 68, who once coached football players at Auburn University, said he will definitely “remember the past and put on his coaching tracksuit” at the next meeting. Missouri politician Josh Hawley, 43, came to work wearing jeans and cowboy boots. He also had the support of Alaska lawmaker Lisa Ann Mierkauski, 66, who opted for what she called a “travel outfit” that included a zip-up sweater, black pants and sneakers.
The first meeting of the United States Congress in 1789 established the tradition of an official dress code for government employees, which was observed for more than two centuries. Men and women were required to wear formal business attire, and for men this meant a tie and jacket, even in the hottest weather.
However, in recent years, golf suits, sportswear, shoes without socks and even shiny wigs have been seen in the meeting rooms of the US Senate. The enormous disregard for the established rules forced the President of the Senate, Chuck Schumer, to take radical measures, giving senators complete freedom in the choice of clothing.
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