Liberal reporters on Capitol Hill threw a fit this week over a "new" and "sexist" dress code in the House Speaker's lobby. There was just one problem with their criticism, the formal, traditional dress code isn't new at all. In fact, it's been enforced for decades.
According to the dress code, women are not allowed into the Speaker's lobby in sleeveless dresses and men are not allowed in without ties and suit jackets. Townhall's Christine Rousselle wrote that the policy has been in effect for "more than a century."
Nonetheless, liberals didn't let these facts dissuade them from attacking Speaker Paul Ryan.
Multiple media outlets on Thursday attributed the "sexist" dress code to the Republican House Speaker, as if it had just been implemented.
"House of Representatives establishes sexist, no sleeveless policy for women, Mediaite columnist Kylie Cheung wrote.
COLUMN: House of Representatives Establishes Sexist, No Sleeveless Policy for Women https://t.co/vq5UEQEyag pic.twitter.com/HLOJtJ8H48
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 7, 2017
The liberal website Mic, which caters to a millennial audience, published a headline claiming the new policy was "thanks to Paul Ryan."
Women aren’t allowed to wear sleeveless tops in the House chambers, thanks to Paul Ryan https://t.co/0jlBHKy8nS pic.twitter.com/AoTkBCtC7B
— Mic (@mic) July 6, 2017
Raw Story falsely claimed that women are "no longer allowed to wear sleeveless attire in Paul Ryan’s House of Reps."
Women are no longer allowed to wear sleeveless attire in Paul Ryan’s House of Reps https://t.co/zfPcQjQp2j pic.twitter.com/6SqOkhg2ZH
— Raw Story (@RawStory) July 6, 2017
The liberal blog Jezebel called the dress code "new."
The House has a new "no sleeveless" dress code for women https://t.co/Gr6Q7u7t0A pic.twitter.com/1P6edjyZBX
— Jezebel (@Jezebel) July 6, 2017
But as some female reporters later pointed out on Twitter, the dress code isn't "new" at all.
"This is simply wrong," Kasie Hunt, a Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News tweeted. "The Speaker's Lobby dress code has been this way for decades. Can be argued it should change — but let's be factual."
In a separate tweet, Hunt further set the record straight by pointing out that the policy some described as "sexist" was in effect back when Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held the office of speaker.
This is simply wrong. The Speakers' Lobby dress code has been this way for decades. Can be argued it should change -- but let's be factual https://t.co/QDgti2fnGj
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) July 7, 2017
As long as I've worked on the Hill (on and off for 10+ years), it's been enforced.
Including when Nancy Pelosi was Speaker https://t.co/ZZRDpLrtH1
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) July 7, 2017
The Daily Caller's Kerry Pickett added that she was even "thrown out" of the Speaker's lobby "for showing shoulders" while Pelosi was in office.
To be sure, I was thrown out of the Spkr's lobby for showing shoulders during Pelosi's tenure as spkr-- during the Obamacare debate. https://t.co/iNv5xIBFzF
— Kerry Picket (@KerryPicket) July 7, 2017
