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House Republicans Own Casual Wednesday

Perhaps inspired by the bygone days of Seersucker Thursday, members of the House GOP appear to be testing out a new weekday dress code: Casual Wednesday.

Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., raised eyebrows last week when he showed up for an evening vote series sporting a sweaty T-shirt, gym shorts and sneakers.

This week, an HOH tipster spotted a tie-less Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., behind the dais at a Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee.

Hunter, who wields the gavel as chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, also neglected to wear a jacket on Wednesday morning.

As a three-term congressman, Hunter is no stranger to what constitutes proper attire. Is the laid-back look a nod to his San Diego roots?

Not quite, Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Kasper, informed HOH.

A complicated surgery — anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, to be exact — prevents the congressman from suiting up. Hunter’s surgeon made a small incision in his neck to reach disks in his spinal cord, decompressing tension and relieving the congressman of “an old Marine Corps injury,” Kasper said.

He’s under “doctor’s orders” to go tieless for a while, Kasper said. But rest assured, dress code sticklers, he’ll be back in a tie after the August recess.

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