Senate seersucker tradition fosters bipartisanship in polarizing times
On National Seersucker Day, celebrated in the Senate, bipartisan camaraderie was showcased amidst a week of intense political disputes. The tradition, which involves senators wearing seersucker suits, aims to foster connections between members of different parties. This yearS event marked the 12th annual party and was co-chaired by Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
Senator susan Collins (R-ME) emphasized how shared activities, like Seersucker Day, can encourage goodwill and understanding between lawmakers. The tradition, which was revived in the late 1990s by former Senator Trent Lott, was initially inspired by a lightweight suit designed in New Orleans in the early 1900s. Lott’s intention was to break the stereotype of the Senate as a place solely for serious, dark-suited individuals. Seersucker Day allows senators and staff to enjoy a light-hearted atmosphere while promoting a sense of unity, proving that politics can also embrace style and fun.
Senate seersucker tradition fosters bipartisanship in polarizing times
On Thursday, a day full of partisan politics and breaking news, the Senate upheld a tradition that brings Republicans and Democrats together: National Seersucker Day.
As members engaged in screaming matches on the House floor, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was shoved out of a Department of Homeland Security press conference, and the House Oversight Committee had a fiery hearing, one event on Capitol Hill brought together members of both parties.
“I’ve often said that if you break bread with someone, you’re far less likely to demonize them,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told the Washington Examiner. “Similarly, events like Seersucker Day help remind us of what we have in common.”
“I’ve loved the sense of tradition and the fact that it brings together senators from both parties, different sections of the country, and it’s just fun,” Collins added.
Senators celebrated the 12th annual bipartisan Seersucker Day this week. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was named the Democratic co-chairman last year alongside Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). Warnock took over for Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death.
“If you have a shared activity, then you are the kind of goodwill that spills over into more shared activity,” Cassidy told the Washington Examiner as he expressed interest in different areas he’d like to work with Warnock on.
Senators adopted the seersucker tradition after a New Orleans clothier designed a lightweight suit with pale blue and white striped rumpled cotton fabric in the early 1900s. The tradition fell off until the late 1990s, when former Republican Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott revitalized it.
“I like to say it makes you look cool in two different ways, in temperature and fashion,” Cassidy told the Washington Examiner.
According to the Senate historian’s office, Lott “selected a ‘nice and warm’ day in the second or third week of June to be designated Seersucker Thursday.”
Senators and staffers take part in the tradition, which is meant to bring people together.
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Lott’s goal was to portray that “the Senate isn’t just a bunch of dour folks wearing dark suits and — in the case of men — red or blue ties.”
One Senate staffer told the Washington Examiner, “I love Seersucker Day because it’s one of the few times that politics and style come together. It just proves that people get along better when wearing stripes.”
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