Congress hasn't been allowed to wear hats on the House floor since 1837, but the newly Democratic-controlled House voted to change that to accommodate lawmakers who wear religious headwear. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., proposed the changes last month and it passed Thursday 234-197. The changes allow one of the first female Muslim members of Congress, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who also co-authored the proposal, to wear her headscarf. “It dates back to when men wore hats and we know that men don't wear hats indoors, but women wear hats indoors,” Wilson said. "Religious practices — such as wearing religious garb, whether a kippot or a hijab, should be accommodated in all workplaces — including in the halls of Congress,”

Source: Fox News January 07, 2019 20:03 UTC