After a female reporter, Haley Byrd, was denied entrance to the Speaker's Lobby earlier this week for wearing a dress deemed "inappropriate," media outlets jumped on the claim that House Speaker Paul Ryan decided to adopt a new Puritanical Dress Code that unfairly targeted females.

Mic.com tweeted, "Women aren't allowed to wear sleeveless tops in the House chambers, thanks to Paul Ryan" and similar sentiments were echoed by dozens of other media outlets, such as the feminist blog The Mary Sue, who wrote that Paul Ryan has "repeatedly proven he shouldn’t have a say in anything pertaining to the rights of women."

As it turns out, however, the same exact dress code has been in place for years -- even during Democrat Nancy Pelosi's tenure as Speaker of the House.

Paul Ryan doesn't have much of a say in the matter

According to Capitol Hill insider Billy House, who spoke about the Congressional dress code with The Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday, the dress code rules extend beyond the Chamber to adjacent areas where reporters like to congregate, such as the Speaker's Lobby. The determination as to whether or not certain articles of clothing are inappropriate is not up to Paul Ryan, but chamber security.

House added that chamber security personnel report to the House Sergeant of Arms, and not to speaker Ryan.

Female reporters were also booted from lobby during the Obama years

While many outlets falsely accused Ryan of misogyny by instituting a controversial "no sleeveless dresses allowed" rule, the fact of the matter is that the dress code is nothing new.

There are numerous cases of female reporters being kicked out of the lobby for similar dress code violations; Real Clear Politics editor Emily Goodin admits that she was once asked to leave the lobby for wearing a sleeveless dress. Others were let off with a warning.

During the Obama administration, Miami Herald reporter Patricia Mazzei was chastised for wearing a sleeveless dress to the Speaker's Lobby, and was instructed to "please cover up" in the future.

Male journalists are also expected to adhere to the Congressional dress code.

Men are required to wear jackets and ties, while hats are strictly forbidden. Male journalists who forget to wear a tie are rewarded by security personnel with the infamous "Tie of Shame" -- a garish necktie loaned to journalists that has the sartorial sophistication of a 1970s sofa cushion.

As to the prohibition on sleeveless dresses, it appears that the rules are allowed to be bent for certain people. Michelle Obama wore a sleeveless dress multiple times while inside the House chamber -- in defiance of long-standing tradition. Ivanka Trump displayed a visible bra strap during her father's joint address to Congress in February -- another no-no when it comes to the Congressional dress code.
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