On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of American terrorists masquerading as Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a brutal and ultimately futile attempt to overturn the results of the 2021 Presidential election. Many of them carried a cartel of knives, stolen police shields, stun guns, fire extinguishers and cable wire on their way inside the historic building. They broke windows, stormed the offices of our Senate leaders, engaged in hand-to-hand combat that led to more than a dozen officers being sent to the hospital with broken bones and concussions and, in what became their most disgusting show of disrespect to our nation’s most sacred hall of democracy, some purposely defecated in the hallways.

If he were to live a thousand lifetimes, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman would never be confused with any of these self-described “patriots.” He would never be linked to their acts of indecency, their ugliness and their brazen defiance of our nation’s laws. Clearly stated, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, a Conservative or a Liberal, you would be hard pressed to claim that Fetterman owns no moral compass. While it may from time to time be misinterpreted by others as partisan or gruff, the integrity of the Pennsylvania senator is securely intact.

Therefore, while it is perhaps a risky and outrageous leap to compare the relatively benign connection Fetterman has with this crummy bunch, it must be noted that the senator has shown – until now – his own subtle sign of disrespect. John Fetterman is dedicated to the art of dressing comfortably, and in the process of doing so, he desecrates the U.S. Senate he belongs to and the time-honored building he works in. 

He is a political maverick in the tatter-torn, emergency moment rags of someone fleeing from a flood.

He is the weird uncle who arrives at the Thanksgiving Day table casually attired in sweatpants and a heavy metal concert t-shirt.

He is a self-described slob, even identifying himself with that exact word when he asked whether the Senate should be tackling the larger issues of the day instead of focusing in his clothing acumen.

While these clothing choices are acceptable for breakfast at the greasy spoon or a visit to the refuse dump on the edge of town, they are so unsuitable for the chambers of the U.S. Senate that they override Fetterman’s legitimacy and reduce him to a cartoon caricature of himself. His signature hoodie and shorts send off a bad impression about Pennsylvania, implying to the rest of the nation that we as a commonwealth have lost our collective minds and elected someone utterly devoid of even the most basic decorum – who by appearance gives the suggestion that he not only disrespects the position he was elected for, but himself, as well. 

Thankfully, his colleagues in the Senate have voted to force Fetterman give up his “man of the people, Everyman” designer line and begin to dress in a manner that befits a U.S. Senator. 

In mid-September – in a conciliatory nod toward Fetterman -- Senate Majority Leader Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that he was relaxing the Senate dress code. Almost immediately, Fetterman’s colleagues on both sides of the floor were outraged at Shumer’s decision and by a unanimous vote passed a resolution formalizing business attire as the proper dress code for the Senate floor. 

From now on -- just as it should be -- it is suits, ties and slacks for men. While it is not likely to affect what Fetterman chooses to wear in pubic or on his next campaign trail, the resolution does begin to regulate and further drive home that the U.S. Capitol Building – whether there as a protestor or as a public servant – deserves our highest respect.