Paul Ryan Denies Right to Bare Arms in House of Congress

Based on the whims of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) women attempting to enter the speaker’s lobby have been denied entrance based on their shoulder-baring sleeveless shirts and dresses.

According to CBS News, multiple female journalists have reported that they’ve been turned away from the speaker’s lobby due to their bare shoulders — a policy not shared by either the Senate or the White House.

The new dress code appears to first have been enforced in May, when, according to the report, Independent Journal Review‘s Haley Byrd was kicked out of the lobby due to violating the rule.

“When I was kicked out that day, I was just trying to pass through the area to reach another hallway, but I was told I was violating the rules. They offered to find a sweater for me to put on, so it wasn’t some tyrannical end of free press, but I opted to just go around instead. But recently they’ve been cracking down on the code, like with open-toed shoes,” she told CBS News. “I suspect the rules are being emphasized now that it’s summertime and excruciatingly hot outside and everyone is dressing for the weather.”

The CBS report details the experiences of another young reporter who was told she couldn’t enter the lobby because of her dress. She improvised by tearing pages from her notebook to create “sleeves” — but was still turned away.