Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterrman responded with the perfect meme after the Senate unanimously passed a formal dress code requirement.
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer relaxed the informal dress code in the Senate. Senators were then permitted to choose their attire freely while on the floor.
Fetterman, who stands at an imposing 6 feet, 8 inches, frequently opts for shorts paired with a dark collared short-sleeved shirt or a hoodie when moving about the Capitol. This relaxed and casual style was something he embraced during his campaign last year as well.
The resolution for a formal dress code was proposed by Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Mitt Romney of Utah. After it passed, Fetterman shared a meme featuring Kevin James, the King of Queens actor, smirking with his hands in his pockets.
This particular meme has gone viral in recent days and is often associated with captions related to confidence and cheekiness, as noted by KnowYourMeme.
You can see Fetterman's post below.
James later saw Fetterman's post, joking about a potential "Double Hands In The Pocket" stand-up tour.
The memes going around X, formerly Twitter, also drew a comment from Leah Remini—who played Carrie Heffernan on The King of Queens—about "absolutely" loving them.
She added:
"Thank you for 25 years of amazing memories!"
Others also loved Fetterman's response.
The new bipartisan bill mandates that Senate members adhere to an explicit dress code when on the Senate floor, replacing the previous unwritten custom.
The dress code stipulates that men must wear a coat, tie, and slacks. However, the resolution does not specify the definition of business attire for women on the Senate floor.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the situation, stating that "formalizing [a dress code] is the right path forward." He also acknowledged Fetterman for "working with me to come to an agreement that we all find acceptable."
The Senate has previously clashed over dress code requirements, including in 2017, when then-House Speaker Paul Ryan "relaxed rules on attire after dozens of congresswomen objected to a prohibition on displaying bare arms," according to CNN.
The outlet noted that women's attire" was relaxed after then-Senate Rules Committee chair Amy Klobuchar pushed for a change so women could wear sleeveless dresses."
