[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4716-S4717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SENATE DRESS CODE RESOLUTION

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in a moment, my friend from West Virginia 
will submit a resolution regarding the Senate dress code. Although we 
have never had an official dress code, the events over the past week 
have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path 
forward.
  I deeply appreciate Senator Fetterman's working with me to come to an 
agreement that we all find acceptable, and, of course, I appreciate 
Senator Manchin's and Senator Romney's leadership on this issue.
  I will move for the Senate to adopt this resolution in a few minutes.
  I now yield to my colleague from West Virginia.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, let me thank Senator Schumer for working 
with us to come to this conclusion and bring all of us together. I 
appreciate it very much. I appreciate Senator McConnell for being a 
part of this and joining this bipartisan effort and, of course, my dear 
friend Senator Mitt Romney, who has been a part of all of these efforts 
that we have worked on together and in putting together this small 
token of our appreciation for what we have been able to do. I want to 
thank Senator Fetterman also. Senator Fetterman and I have had many 
conversations, and he has worked with me to find a solution. I 
appreciate that very much. It has truly been a team effort.
  You know, for 234 years, every Senator who has had the honor of 
serving in this distinguished body has assumed that there were some 
basic written rules of decorum and conduct and civility, one of which 
was a dress code. The presumed dress code was pretty simple. The male 
Senators were required to wear a coat, tie, and slacks or other long 
pants while on the floor of the Senate to show the respect that we had 
for our constituents back home.
  Just after a week ago, we learned that there were not, in fact, any 
written rules about the Senators as to what they could and could not 
wear on the floor. So Senator Romney and I got together, and we thought 
maybe it is time that we finally codified something that has been 
precedent, a rule, for 234 years. We drafted this simple, two-page 
resolution that will put all of that to bed once and for all by just 
codifying a longstanding practice into a Senate rule which makes it 
very clear for the Sergeant at Arms to be able to enforce.
  I want to thank Senator Romney for working, as always, in a 
bipartisan way on so many endeavors. This is just as important, maybe, 
as any of them we have ever done.
  With that, I turn it over and yield to my good friend Senator Romney.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President, I thank Senator Manchin. We have 
collaborated on quite a number of things together. It has been a great 
experience and a joy for me. I thank Leader Schumer for beginning this 
process and making sure that we reach a favorable and bipartisan 
conclusion.
  This is not the biggest thing going on in Washington today. It is not 
even one of the biggest things going on in Washington today. 
Nonetheless, it is a good thing. It is another example of Republicans 
and Democrats being able to work together and solve, in this case, what 
may not be a really big problem but what is an important thing that 
makes a difference to a lot of people.
  I have been thinking about the extraordinary Founders of our country 
and the leaders in the early days who decided to build this building. I 
mean, George Washington approved this building. In the years that 
followed, huge sacrifices were made. They could have built a building 
that looked like a Walmart, with La-Z-Boy chairs. Instead, they built 
this extraordinary edifice with columns and marble. Why did they do 
that? Why make that huge investment? For one, I think it was to show 
the respect and admiration that we have for the institution of the 
Government of the United States of America. This was at a time when we 
were an agricultural society. Yet they made this enormous sacrifice and 
built this amazing edifice.
  I think it is in keeping with that spirit that we say we want those 
who serve inside this room, in this Hall, to show a level of dignity 
and respect which is consistent with the sacrifice they made and with 
the beauty of the surroundings.
  So I appreciate the effort that Senator Manchin has led and that 
Senator Schumer has put on the floor this evening such that we might be 
able to proceed and codify what has been a longstanding practice of 
showing our admiration and respect for the institution in which we 
serve, the very building in which we are able to serve it,

[[Page S4717]]

and our respect for the people whom we represent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, as I mentioned a minute ago, although we 
have never had an official dress code, the events over the past week 
have made us all feel that formalizing it is the right way forward.
  I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. Res. 376, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 376) clarifying the dress code for 
     the floor of the Senate.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to and 
that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 376) was agreed to.
  (The resolution is printed in today's Record under ``Submitted 
Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

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