It’s pretty safe to say, that the decision by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to “quietly and “informally change” the Senate dress code to accommodate Sen. John Fetterman, who likes to wear hoodies and briefs to work over the weekend has received far more criticism than Schumer anticipated.
Last time we saw Sen. Fetterman he was appearing on Chris Hayes’s MSNBC show, telling his GOP critics that they should “hug a different leg” about a possible shutdown of the government.
He had already made several mistakes on Twitter about the dress code issue, including one in which he attempted to take down Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by saying that etiquette must be observed. In this case, he pointed to her actions at a July IRS Whistleblower Hearing where she showed graphic photos (but censored ones) of Hunter Biden having sexual relations with alleged hookers.
“The Senate not enforcing a code of dress for Senators in order to appease Fetterman’s is disgraceful,” Rep. Greene said on her Twitter page, Sunday morning, shortly after the announcement.
The dress code is a standard that sets etiquette for society and the respect of our institutions. “Stop lowering the standard!”
Fetterman responded by tweeting, “Thankfully the nation’s lower house lives by a code of conduct higher than that: display ding-aling pictures in public hearings.” He repeated the comment on Hayes’s show.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, not to be outdone by her, took to Twitter later that day to make the exact same point. She likely thought (as she does often) that she was on to something.
Aren’t you the one who did revenge porn in a hearing https://t.co/N3YBXcuIxz
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 18, 2023
But no…
Are you OK with Hunter Biden violating the MANN Act, which is human sex trafficking? https://t.co/jraaYa1TyV pic.twitter.com/ZEVePmdFu8
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 19, 2023
Ocasio-Cortez’s response? At the time of writing, there has been no response. She’s known for trying to start fights on social media and then running away from them, so this should come as no surprise.
As I’ve said, while lowering the dress code for Senators is not something that most Republicans in DC would consider a worthwhile cause, the point is important. Greene and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a similar point when he said that standards should be kept or raised, not lowered.
It is not just about dress codes. This extends into public schools, businesses, and other places where standards have been lowered over the years to be “inclusive” and avoid hurting anyone’s feelings.
Hearings in Congress are different, however, and I don’t think they should be treated with the same decorum as those in the House of Representatives or Senate. Why? These hearings can involve listening to witnesses and reviewing evidence about alleged wrongdoings by government officials or agencies. It’s okay if the hearings are a bit ugly to find out the truth.
