WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, found herself at the center of controversy due to her strong reaction to a report about changes in the Senate's informal dress code.
These changes were reportedly initiated by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, with the intention of accommodating Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, who is known for his casual attire.
John Fetterman's casual clothing choices
The issue at hand revolved around the removal of a dress code requirement that mandated professional attire for senators when on the Senate floor. This rule included male senators wearing jackets and ties and female senators donning dresses or other forms of businesswear.
The catalyst for this change in policy was Senator John Fetterman, a 6-foot-8-inch tall Democrat who had previously faced criticism from conservatives for wearing a hoodie, gym shorts, and sneakers while in the Senate chamber. Many conservatives viewed his choice of attire as disrespectful to the Senate's traditions and decorum.
Senator Fetterman's casual clothing choices were particularly scrutinized after his return to Washington from a six-week stay at Walter Reed National Medical Center, where he had been receiving treatment for clinical depression. While some argued that his choice of attire was a personal expression of comfort during a challenging time, others saw it as a breach of Senate protocol.
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, a vocal and controversial figure in Congress, did not hold back in expressing her disapproval of Schumer's decision to relax the dress code.
“The Senate no longer encoding a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” Greene wrote on X. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar," she insisted.
Marjorie Taylor Greene faces backlash
Greene's statement, however, was met with significant backlash from liberals on social media, who pointed to her own controversial actions, such as heckling President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address and displaying explicit images of the president's son during a hearing.
"The bar was lowered when you were sworn in and it's been downhill ever since," one tweeted.
"Your behavior in that building lowered the bar far more than any pair of shorts could," another wrote.
"Respect for our institutions you say? The same institutions you and the GOP have been consistently degrading? What about the US Constitution and Government as a whole? You know what I'm talking about. The thing you betrayed when you cried out for secession," a comment read.
"Well MTG, it seems like YOU were the one 'lowering the bar' when you heckled the President in your Cruella DeVille costume at the SOTU address," someone else quipped.
"Please tell us more about your newfound love for Senate etiquette. Does this mean you now renounce the January 6 rioters?" another added.
Senate's new dress code
Before Schumer's directive, Senator Fetterman had been skirting the dress code requirement by voting from the doorway of the Democratic cloakroom or using the side entrance to the Senate floor instead of being on the floor itself.
Schumer's decision to officially change the dress code policy signaled a shift in Senate traditions. He clarified that senators would now have the freedom to choose their attire on the Senate floor, while he personally committed to continuing to wear a suit.
According to reports, the new dress code policy would be implemented shortly, affecting senators but not Senate staff members. Staff members would still be expected to adhere to professional work-appropriate attire, according to the New York Post.
This change in the Senate's dress code was not the first of its kind. Approximately five years before this development, the Senate had previously amended its dress code to relax restrictions on female senators, allowing them to wear sleeveless dresses or shirts, reflecting evolving attitudes towards workplace attire and gender equality.
