After suffering a defeat in last month’s primary, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) hosted his last Senate Seersucker Day, leaving the beloved bipartisan tradition without a Republican leader. Senators and staff celebrated the 13th annual bipartisan Seersucker Day on Thursday, just weeks after Cassidy was ousted as President Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidate, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), advanced to the runoff. Cassidy’s departure could lead to increased partisanship on Capitol Hill. Trump has taken out multiple members who have broken ranks with the president in his revenge tour, leaving many Republicans fearful to cross party lines in an era of decreasing bipartisanship.
But Cassidy made sure to celebrate bipartisanship one last time in his Haspel suit.
“Traditions connect you with the past, and they kind of, if you will, you’re connected to the future,” Cassidy told the Washington Examiner. “It’s a little bit of a celebration. It’s a celebration where people just lighten up, just a little bit. It doesn’t matter what party, what legal persuasion. You come together, wear something which is comfortable on a hot Washington day.”
“Frankly, I think we need more such traditions right now in our society,” he continued.
