PAUL RYAN: “House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday [7-13-17] that he is working with the Sergeant at Arms to ‘modernize’ the dress code in parts of the Capitol building.
‘Over the break it came to my attention that there was an issue about dress code,’ he said during a press conference on Capitol Hill. ‘I’ll be honest, this was not something that was covered in my new speakership orientation ceremony.’
At issue is the Speaker’s Lobby, a room bordering the House chamber and a location where lawmakers congregate between votes and where reporters conduct interviews. The dress code for the room has required women — reporters and lawmakers — to wear dresses and blouses with sleeves if they want to enter. The rule also requires men to wear jackets and ties.
A recent CBS news report about the uneven adherence to the dress code and the story of an unnamed young, female reporter barred from the room because her dress did not have sleeves kicked off an online debate, particularly among journalists.
On Wednesday, Rep. Martha McSally, an Arizona Republican, made reference to the strict dress code in the Speaker’s Lobby at the end of remarks on the House floor about first responders in her state.”
-Daniella Diaz,”Paul Ryan takes up women’s right to bare their arms on Hill,” CNN Politcs, CNN.com, July 13, 2017 02:47pm