Susan Collins Threatens to Wear Bikini on Senate Floor
By: Mediaite
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has threatened to wear a bikini onto the Senate floor in protest of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) decision to suspend the Senate's dress code to accommodate Senator John Fetterman (D-PA).
"I plan to wear a bikini tomorrow to the Senate floor and Chris Coons is gonna wear shorts because there's no dress code anymore," remarked Collins to a group of reporters before quickly retracting the threat.
"Obviously, I'm not going to wear a bikini. But the fact is, as I understand it, I could," she lamented.
"I think there is a certain dignity that we should be maintaining in the Senate, and to do away with the dress code, to me, debases the institution," added Collins, making her critique explicit.
Fetterman, who was known for wearing a hoodie and gym shorts on the campaign trail, has continued the practice inside the Capitol and has been casting votes from the hallway in order to avoid a confrontation with the Senate's Sergeant-at-Arms.
A number of other Republicans have expressed frustration with Schumer's decision to throw out the dress code. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) argued that she's "never seen civility enhanced or a sense of decorum enhanced by dressing like a slob," and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) called it "just another step in the movement by the Democrats to 'transform America,' to take us to a different place. And to take us to a place that is much less respectful than we historically have been."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), meanwhile, called the decision "disgraceful."
"Dress code is one of society's standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!" she wrote on X.
Fetterman has reacted to Schumer's decision by submitting that he thinks "We should all want to be more comfortable."
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Will someone show some mercy to the American people ?
Don't dismiss the power of costume in the projection of the character in theater.
I am way tired of her...
Have you moved to Maine or just tired of her attempts at bipartisanship?
Exactly, shorts and Carhartt hoodies have to help elevate his clinical depression. The worst thing for Fetterman is getting dressed in the face of depression is to use clothing to further self-sabotage. Acknowledge what may trigger you, don't punish yourself with a coat and tie and leather shoes.
Fetterman is the face of American decline.
Oh please.
I'm not sure you're doing a very good job arguing against the while "degraded nation" idea.
It's probably all so Fetterman can feel like he's self sufficient by dressing himself....
Republicans and conservatives hate change generally. And Senate Republicans and conservatives appear to hate one new change in particular: Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s approved change to the chamber’s sartorial standards, which calls for the sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing the dress code for its members.
“There has been an informal dress code that was enforced,” Schumer said in a statement. “Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” said the majority leader.
Previously, senators were required to suit up when conducting business on the Senate floor, though senators routinely circumvented the requisite business attire by voting with one foot on the senate floor and one foot in the cloak room, a tactic Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, regularly employs when voting in his gym clothes after a workout.
The change brought a predictable roar of faux outrage from the political right, with Fox News dedicating segments on several of their primetime shows to bashing Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, who prefers hoodies and gym shorts to the buttoned-up look typical of lawmakers in the upper chamber of Congress.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, joked to reporters on Monday that she would wear a bikini to work on Tuesday. “Obviously, I’m not going to wear a bikini,” Collins clarified. “But the fact is, as I understand it, I could!”
Other GOP senators were quick to pile on with derisive comments of their own to NBC News reporter Frank Thorp. “It bothers me big time,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville of the new dress code. “You got people walking around in shorts … that don’t fly with me,” Tuberville added in an apparent jab at Fetterman. Senate Chuck Grassley echoed Tuberville’s disdain. “It stinks,” said the senior senator from Iowa.
Tuberville, of course, while so worried about the debasement of the Senate if people wear shorts, has done a little debasing of his own recently, with his weeks-long hold on top military officials over the Pentagon’s abortion policy.
The New Republic asked Democrats on Tuesday if the Senate could possibly survive Schumer’s change to the centuries old dress code. “If we can’t, then we have a lot more problems than anybody can imagine,” laughed Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. Asked what she makes of the right-wing outrage over such a seemingly innocuous thing as what people wear to work, Hirono didn’t waffle. “It’s sort of par for the course in my view regarding the right wing and what they constitute as moral outrage. I disagree with what they consider to be outrageous.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut echoed Hirono about the faux outrage over the Senate’s dress code. “There are so many efforts to distract and deter, ranging from the trivial like dress codes to the more important like impeachment,” he said. “It seems like the right-wing fringe is over a cliff on basic sanity,” Blumenthal continued, before noting that the dress code isn’t exactly top of mind. “I haven’t really thought at all about the dress code because I’m going to keep wearing a suit and tie.”
Senator Chris Murphy echoed his Connecticut colleague. “I’ve not even been briefed on the dress code changes,” he said. “I’ve only read stories and tweets about it, so I haven’t really given it any thought. I’ve been engaged in things that matter a lot more than this.”
Georgia’s Raphael Warnock, by any measure one of the best-dressed members of the upper chamber, laughed when asked if the Senate could survive the new dress code. “I think the American people want us to keep the government open, so we need to stay focused on that,” he said. Added Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon: “So I have a position on the dress code issue. In the broad sweep of Western civilization, I do not believe this will be one of the major issues.”
For his part, Fetterman said that he will continue to wear a suit when appearing on the Senate floor to conduct official business. “I’ll never understand why anyone really cares how I dress,” said Fetterman. “But I really believe there’s much more important things that we should be working on like, for example, you’ve got Ukraine, you’ve got the shutdown, you’ve got all kinds of things. So I don’t understand the meltdown.”
The junior senator from Pennsylvania’s team has been taking the criticism from the right in stride. “Another great day for Fetterman to live rent free inside of the head of every Republican,” tweeted Joe Calvello, the senator’s press secretary. “Let’s get this bread.”
I note the 'righties' are out in full bloom.
It is only OK when Democrats obstruct Republican nominees.
Leftists in full denial of what they do themselves.
The hoodie provides a sense of anonymity that is particularly important for introverted individuals who may feel uncomfortable in social situations. It also provides a means to conceal one's identity and facilitate criminal activities. That is why hoodies have been associated with gang culture and violence.
Perhaps very appropriate garb for today’s politicians.
You might be right..
The left will attempt to gaslight that hoodie boy is fine when in reality he is just as unqualified to properly discharge his duties as uncle Joe.
Clowns and asshats. Democrats continue to embrace both.
Maybe he can babysit Feinstein until it’s time for her to cast her vote.
Fetterman or Biden ….. oh, never mind. Both would work …..
We need for public school and fast food employee dress code to catch up with the US Senate.
Nah, Democrats encourage little kids to dress like little hookers and gigolo’s.
It turns em on ….
Comment 11.1 proves that QAnon is alive and well here on NT. Pathetic.
Comment 11.1.1 proves that liberal delusion and disinformation is still a very clear and present danger to this great union.
Comment 11.1.2 proves that right wing reactionary fraud and cognitive dysfunction is the greatest present danger to the American way of life.
An old, draconian view sees dressing formally as a respect for the sanctity of the institution. Apparently no one now, including our Senators see much sanctity of their institution.
Perhaps SCOTUS will allow T-shirts with messages next.
Ooh, I hope we see this one...
Lol …. I actually used that line more than once back when you could pick up hitchhikers without fear of getting rolled.
Ah the good old days ….
Fetterman is the Adams Family Senator, a cross between Uncle Fester and Lurch, dresses like Pugsley and acts like Wednesday
Collins could make a better point if she dressed up like Steve Bannon.
I hope Collins wears the bikini.
The melt down from the left would be epic. Their sexism, agism, and anti womanism would be on full display.
This will probably lose me a few friends here, but Senator Collins is right. the House and the Senate require some decorum when doing the people's business. I personally detest people who walk into a fine dining establishment looking like a slob and leaving their hat on at the table. Even at not so fine dining establishments. Please don't look like you just came in from milking the cows.
We literally don't agree on just about everything, but i respect your right to have a different opinion. if you lose friends because you don't agree with them on this, they weren't your friends, or were shitty ones at best.
Didn't he know what was expected of him before he ran for Senate?
Obviously knew and did not care.