Fetterman says he’ll wear a suit to avoid shutdown

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has a deal for Republicans complaining about his attire: You avoid a government shutdown, and I’ll dress up.

“If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week,” Fetterman said in a Wednesday statement.

The senator, who famously prefers to wear shorts and a hoodie in lieu of a suit, has gotten a lot of attention this week after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) quietly changed the Senate chamber’s informal dress code that required business attire from members on the floor.

“Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said in a statement shared with The Hill over the weekend.

The rule change has been widely connected with Fetterman, who had taken to voting from the back of the chamber so he wouldn’t violate floor attire rules. Republicans have widely condemned the dress code change, along with some Democrats.

Forty-six senators, led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), penned a letter to Schumer this week in opposition to the change.

“The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs,” they wrote. “Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent.”

Democrats, including Schumer’s No. 2, Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), and Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.), have also expressed their displeasure with the change.

The brouhaha hasn’t bothered Fetterman.

“America … it’s about freedom and choice,” Fetterman told The Hill. “It’s like [a] Burger King ‘You Rule’ kind of a thing.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told The Hill he spoke with Fetterman directly and told him he disagreed with the change.

The West Virginia centrist began circulating a proposal this week to reestablish the Senate’s formal dress code.