Senate Democratic Whip Richard J. Durbin isn’t excited about the upper chamber’s new dress code, which lets senators wear what they want.
The Hill reported that Mr. Durbin said on “The Briefing With Steve Scully” on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel that he is “concerned about it.”
The second-highest ranking Senate Democrat told the show in an interview that will air Friday that he acknowledges the relaxed dress code will let Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat, continue wearing his staple outfit of hoodie, gym shorts and sneakers, but standards still are important.
“The senator in question from Pennsylvania is a personal friend, but I think we need to have standards when it comes to what we’re wearing on the floor of the Senate, and we’re in the process of discussing that right now as to what those standards will be,” Mr. Durbin said on the show.
The Washington Times did not independently preview the show.
The senator said he plans on discussing the issue with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who produced the new dress code.
“I can’t understand exactly what he was thinking at this point,” Mr. Durbin said. “I want to give him the benefit of the doubt until I speak to him, but I think the Senate needs to act on this.”
On Tuesday, nearly every Senate Republican signed a letter to the majority leader to reverse the decision.
“The Senate is a place of honor and tradition, and the Senate floor is where we conduct the business of the American people,” the letter said. “It is where we debate the policies which impact every American family and, when necessary, it is where we must make the gravest decision imaginable — whether to send our fellow Americans into battle to defend the freedoms we all hold dear. The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs.”
The Washington Post criticized the dress code change in an editorial published Tuesday that said, “Dressing formally conveys respect for the sanctity of the institution and for the real-world impact of the policies it advances.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.