Senate unanimously passes Mitt Romney, Joe Manchin resolution to reinstate dress code
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Before the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution to reinstate the requirement that business attire be worn on the Senate floor, Sen. Mitt Romney and Sen. Joe Manchin spoke to their colleagues.
On Sept. 17, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. ordered a dress code policy change, allowing U.S. senators to “wear whatever they want on the Senate floor,” per Deseret News.
“The United States Capitol is more than just a place of work — it serves as a symbol of freedom and democracy to the world,” Romney said Wednesday night.
“Hard work was done, and sacrifices made, to ensure that our legislative branch of government wasn’t just housed in some tent. As senators, we should demonstrate a high level of reverence for the institution in which we serve — and our attire is one of the most basic expressions of that respect. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to call for a return to a level of dress becoming of the Senate.”
Romney, R-Utah, related the architecture of the U.S. Capitol building to the respect the builders of America had for its ideals and values.
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He said, “I think it’s 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.”
Manchin, D-W.V., likewise emphasized the importance of respecting the American Senate. He said, “For 234 years, every senator that has had the honor of serving in this distinguished body has assumed there were some basic written rules of decorum, conduct and civility, one of which was a dress code.
“Just over a week ago, we all learned that there were not — in fact — any written rules about what Senators could and could not wear on the floor of the Senate. So Senator Romney and I got together and we thought maybe it’s time that we finally codify something that was the precedented rule for 234 years.”
