Senate Dress Code Resolution

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,

and our respect for the people whom we represent.

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.

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.

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.

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.