In the Capitol Hill row over Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) decision to shred the upper chamber's dress code to accommodate Senator John Fetterman's (D-PA) ratty hoodie and basketball short "style," a new gauntlet has been thrown down.
In a written statement released on Wednesday and subsequently posted to X (formerly Twitter), Fetterman issued a challenge to lawmakers in the lower chamber:
"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."
Sen. Fetterman:
— Reshad Hudson (@ReshadHudson) September 20, 2023
"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." pic.twitter.com/twEh92Mk49
Doesn't seem like that good of a deal, and it's doubtful Fetterman would have been able to express that challenge verbally given his recent comments at the UAW strike.
With just about ten days left before federal funding runs out and the government shuts down, there's no clear path forward to fund the government — even just with a stopgap measure — but the Senate's dress code change has drawn a surprising amount of attention.
Notably, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) joked she may wear a bikini on the Senate floor under the new dress code she said "debases the institution."
Earlier this week, House leadership pulled a planned vote on the rule for a continuing resolution because Speaker McCarthy did not have the votes, but subsequently pressed ahead with a vote on the rule for a defense spending bill that failed due to opposition from Republicans.
McCarthy subsequently said that House lawmakers would hold votes on the bills to fund the government over the weekend, even if they fail again.