Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) stepped onto the Senate floor in jeans Thursday. Is this a wild, rebellious streak? Or did he just run out of freshly ironed dress pants?
The attire was witnessed by C-SPAN junkies everywhere. The blue jeans are a little tricky to see, but look closely at the gentleman from Ohio standing closest to the word “NOW.”
Portman probably has the best excuse ever for the denim.
“Sen. Portman continued his birthday tradition yesterday and volunteered to help build a Habitat for Humanity home,” Portman’s press secretary Caitlin Dunn told The Mirror. “He tries to do it every year, but that’s obviously not typical for him in the jeans,” she said, laughing.
A call to the Chief of Protocol inside the Sergeant at Arms Office reveals that there are no formal rules about attire on the Senate floor, although casual wear is generally frowned upon.
On the House floor, hats are strictly prohibited, which must be a serious strain on Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), who has a penchant for wearing getups that could pass for costumes at a Toddlers & Tiaras casting call.
“Well, professional business attire is the dress code,” said Becky Daugherty.
In this case, we’re pretty sure Portman’s colleagues can let it slide.
