Republicans joke about wearing swimsuits in the Senate

Republicans are joking about wearing swimsuits in the Senate following Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to change the chamber’s dress code.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has been in the crosshairs of Republicans this week, and many suggest the Pennsylvanian’s casual look is to blame for the shift. Schumer did not state the reason for his decision. Fetterman has worn a suit and tie in the Senate, although he typically wears casual clothing like hoodies and shorts when not on the floor.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine joked that she would “wear a bikini” on the House floor in comments to a group of reporters Monday, while adding that Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware would wear shorts. She quickly made it clear that she was joking before claiming that changing the dress code “demeans the institution.”

“I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow in the Senate and Chris Coons will wear shorts because there is no dress code anymore,” Collins said. “Obviously, I won’t wear a bikini. But the thing is, if I get it right, I could do it.”

“I think there is a certain dignity that we should maintain in the Senate, and removing the dress code, in my opinion, demeans the institution,” she continued.

On Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas weighed in on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a right-wing podcast’s suggestion that “we need Ted Cruz in a Speedo” to protest Fetterman and the code switch clothing.

“I give my solemn word…this will not happen!” wrote Cruz.

News week reach was invited for comment to Fetterman and Schumer’s offices via email Tuesday evening.

The exact details of what is permitted under the new dress code have not been made public. The changed rules apply only to senators, not their staff. Schumer said “senators are able to choose what they wear in the Senate” following the change, while adding that he “will personally continue to wear a suit.”

Collins and Cruz are far from the only Republicans to weigh in, with many other Republican politicians reacting more directly to Fetterman.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia lamented that the Senate was “no longer imposing a dress code on senators to appease Fetterman” in an article on X, calling the move a “shameful” example of “lowering the bar.” .

Stephen Miller, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, claimed that “the entire Senate is abandoning its rich history and devaluing itself before the world to accommodate the negligence of one man, John Fetterman.”

Fetterman took aim at the recent theater scandal involving Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado when answer Monday on

The Pennsylvania Democrat also suggested he could profit from the uproar, in writing on