Schumer loosens Senate’s informal dress code

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has eased up the Senate’s informal dress code to allow senators to wear whatever they want on the floor, meaning lawmakers will no longer have to poke only their heads and arm into the chamber to vote if wearing shorts or gym clothes.  

The informal rule change reflects the trend in the broader economy, particularly in the tech sector, toward more casual attire in the workplace.  

The most obvious beneficiary would be first-term Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who often sports his trademark hoodie in the Capitol but until now hasn’t been allowed under the informal dress code to walk onto the Senate floor without a coat and tie.