Ryan moves to 'modernize' dress code of Speaker's lobby

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico




By RACHAEL BADE 07/13/2017 12:42 PM EDT

Speaker Paul Ryan has asked a top House chamber official to “modernize” the Speaker’s Lobby dress code after being pummeled in the media for a long-held rule that women must cover their shoulders in a hallway outside the House floor.

The Wisconsin Republican in a news conference Thursday said he has asked the House sergeant-at-arms to revisit and “update” business dress requirements that bar women from wearing sleeveless and open-toed shoes. The dress code also requires men to wear jackets and a tie, though that requirement has largely escaped recent criticism.

“Decorum is important, especially for this institution, and a dress code in the chamber and in the lobby makes sense,” Ryan said. “But we also don’t need to bar otherwise accepted contemporary business attire, so look for a change on that soon.”

Ryan has faced an onslaught of attacks in fashion publications and on social media, with critics suggesting the rules reek of sexism and blaming him personally. The rules for women and men, however, have been in place and enforced for decades, including under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/13/dress-code-speaker-lobby-paul-ryan-240508

[mainstreetonce]

1. If there is a dress code

It is impossible to set rules that hold fairly in all situations for women.I was going to say the no open toe shies is ridiculous,but I can see why even that was written.

[pangaia]

3. A serious question.. Why?

[mainstreetonce]

8. Because it is so hard to define

Certainly a pump with an open toe is fine but how do you draw a line between that and a sandal. If a sandal is ok ,how to you reject flip flops?

I just think I understand why the simple way was to say no bare shoulders and no open toe shoes.

[pangaia]

12. Interesting.. thanks..

I think flip flops should be ok..
for anybody.

[mpcamb]

19. Paul Ryan, taking on the burning issues of our time...

What a chump!

[Achilleaze]

2. The ladies will get special republican attention

These stylish republican uniforms for the Little Ladies of America will make the Republican War on Women a lot easier to track.

[pangaia]

4. THURSDAY WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flibbitygiblets]

7. OMG you beat me to it! Good one!

[christx30]

22. My mom did the Handmaid thing at a few protests

at the Texas state capitol and a state rep's office. The costume designer for the show has offered help in getting the costumes right, and a few of the actors have expressed admiration for the movement. It's an amazing movement.

[Canoe52]

26. Wowzers! Now that's what I call a dress code!!!

[flt rsk]

5. The nation is going to hell

in a hand basket and Ryan is upset with the possibility of seeing women’s arms and toes. Maybe he is worried the distraction will kick in one or more of his fetishes.

[Scarsdale]

15. His time would be

better spent re-instating the ETHICS rules in office. Is someone on the gop turned on by naked shoulders and toes? Certainly would not be Addison Mitchell McConnell, he likes "boys"

[hibbing]

6. Be sure to dress nice before you kick 22 million ppl off insurance

[IronLionZion]

13. Republican women will fight for women's rights in dress codes

while screwing millions of women out of healthcare in ways that will result in people dying.

[flibbitygiblets]

9. Maybe it's to protect Pence from himself?

If he sees a particularly shapely fire hydrant, he has to excuse himself and think about nuns and truck tires. Imagine what toe-peeps and (gasp!) bare shoulders do to the poor man!

Jesus.

[LeftInTX]

10. I saw a picture of some in the lobby and what they were wearing was a bit cringe-worthy

I get the impression they were from internet-based media.

Their sandals had a "going to the beach" look.
I think open-toe is fine as long as it is "business".

Their dresses were a bit too short too.

[IronLionZion]

11. Any reforms to the jacket and tie requirement?

Forcing men to wear oppressively hot jackets and constricting ties sounds like Matriarchy.

There was a time when women weren't allowed to wear pants and they tried to throw out Senator Carol Mosely-Braun because having a rule against dark skin would have been too obvious. Most Democratic women wear suits anyway.




It seems like Republican women are the ones fighting the good fight in dresses


here are Congresswomen from 1965

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Good Post, ILZ

Funny, too.

[Igel]

23. Yeah.

I certainly want to see them in tank tops.

The rules have been around since forever. People who had no problem with them a decade ago now act like somehow the current House folk put them into effect.

They're mostly enforced for the men. If the men are going to be oppressive, sleeves for women vs coats and ties for men hardly strikes me as patriarchal.

Now, dresses for women when it's 5 degrees out and windy might be oppressive. That's not the issue.

(It pays to remember a bit of research that works for both men and women: The more skin exposed, the more you're seen to be governed by emotion and less governed by intellect. When women want to be professional, they cover more; when they want to be seen as sexy, they cover less. We may not like it, but please, if you don't like it do feel free to engage in some engineering of your (own) genes that are expressed in the brain and hormonal systems. This one seems to be less nurture and more nature, although, to be sure, we can probably condition people to override nature. Fashion and trends often do.)

[IronLionZion]

24. Well the no pants rule lasted up into the early 90's

in which Senator Mosely-Braun got it changed because of how idiotic it was. Some women would prefer pant suits.

But it's seems a bit odd that now Republican women are fighting for the right to wear sleeveless dresses and open toed shoes while Democratic women in the past were fighting for the right to wear pant suits.

I get it. It's hot and humid here in DC and many old buildings have faulty air conditioning. It's fine with me if they modernize the Congress dress code, but I think it's a bit hypocritical that Republican women like Martha McSally are acting as if they are fighting for women's rights. She's from Arizona where it is 117 degrees.

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. Dick Morris must have lobbied to OK open-toed shoes.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dave Starsky]

17. God, I hope they get this straightened out.

Because then they could look at less important things like climate change, health care, jobs, college tuition--that kind of thing. You know, those silly little concerns that tend to fall through the cracks.

[stuffmatters]

20. Another direly need "update": Stop calling Senators/Reps "Miss", Mrs" "Ms" in role call votes.

Offensive enough that marital status is even stated for women (it's Mr for all male Congress obviously) every time there is a role call vote in either Chamber.

These women are as duly elected Senators and Congressional Representatives as their male counterparts. Why is their gender stated in every single role call vote. They should pass a motion to address all as Senators, Congressperson and only that. Everything else is
egregiously sexist and beyond cringeworthy.

How come this odious relic of the 50's has remained accepted procedure in our highest federal legislative venue?

[Tanuki]

21. Well, of course...Princess Ivanka might deign to drop by one day...

She is wearing sleeveless dresses in many of her recent pictures in work-related settings.

[jmowreader]

25. Folks, it occurs to me...

...that the "sleeveless dress, open toe shoes and plenty of makeup" look that Speaker Ryan is trying to get approved for female representatives to wear while conducting official business is also the Women of Fox News look. It appears there are Republican members of Congress who are planning to build Fox News audition reels.