The newly relaxed U.S. Senate dress code, which will allow Sen. John Fetterman to wear his trademark hoodie and shorts on the floor, ran into near-unanimous opposition from Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who dropped the rules regulating senators’ dress, 46 of the 49 GOP senators complained that “allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent.”

“The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs,” the senators wrote, saying they were expressing their “supreme disappointment and resolute disapproval of your recent decision to abandon the Senate’s longstanding dress code for members, and urge you to immediately reverse this misguided action.”

The letter was led by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Signers included Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Among the three not signing the letter was Sen. Katie Britt, who reportedly befriended Fetterman during their orientation and his recovery. Sen. Tommy Tuberville did sign the letter.

“They bonded over having children of a similar age and the fact that Britt’s former football player husband, Wesley, is the same height as the Pennsylvania senator. When Fetterman checked into the hospital, Britt’s staff brought food to his office next door,” The Associated Press has reported. “Britt later visited him at Walter Reed.”

Mr. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mr. Fetterman, D-Pa., did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Fetterman traded tweets with Republicans on Monday once the new policy was announced. And he returned to the issue on Tuesday, tweeting that “nobody should take fashion advice from me.”

We can all agree: Nobody should take fashion advice from me.

But in case you want to, new merch dropping soon????

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) September 19, 2023

Jonathan D. Salant: [email protected], @JDSalant

AL.com and AP contributed to this report.

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