Madison Dibble 
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) thinks members of Congress — including herself — deserve a bigger paycheck.
Ocasio-Cortez — a self-described democratic socialist — took to Twitter to explain why Congressional salaries should be boosted to match the rising cost of living.
Yep. Voting against cost of living increases for members of Congress may sound nice, but doing so only increases pressure on them to keep dark money loopholes open.
This makes campaign finance reform *harder.*
ALL workers deserve cost of living increases, incl min wage workers. https://t.co/fCdgHKx4G1
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez claimed that “all workers” deserve a pay raise to balance out the increased cost of living, including congresswomen making $174,000 per year.
The congresswoman argued that the current salary of members of Congress needs to stay on par with the rising cost of living in order to prevent members from being tempted by “dark money loopholes.”
Ocasio-Cortez admitted that the position is unpopular, but said that voting against pay increases could “punish members who rely on a straight salary.”
It’s not a fun or politically popular position to take. But consistency is important.
ALL workers should get cost of living increases. That’s why minimum wage should be pegged to inflation, too.
Voting against cost of living increases is 1 reason why dark $ loopholes stay open.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2019
Ocasio-Cortez noted that low salaries is one reason that “dark [money] loopholes stay open,” something she should be familiar with, considering her own chief of staff was called into question for accepting a lower-than-average pay which conveniently allows him to skip the financial disclosers required by most chiefs of staff.
The current Congressional pay raise in question is an annual increase of $4,500.
Ocasio-Cortez said that the additional four grand is needed to ensure that members don’t feel pressure to turn to lobbying or “insider trading” adding, “It’s not even like a raise.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who makes $174,000, says she needs a raise like minimum wage workers: “Congress, retail workers, everybody should get cost of living increases to accommodate for changes in our economy”
On the $4,500 raise she wants: “It’s not even like a raise”
Video: Fox News pic.twitter.com/iLXNJ9SeS2
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) June 11, 2019
“Members of Congress, retail workers, everybody should get cost of living increases to accommodate for changes in our economy and when we don’t do that, it only increases the pressure on members to exploit loopholes, like insider trading loopholes, to make it on the back end.”
While Ocasio-Cortez may not think $4,500 is a raise, many Americans would disagree. The median household income in the U.S. was $61,372 in2017, meaning a raise of $4,500 would be a 7.3% raise.
Many people found it to be hypocritical of Ocasio-Cortez to be saying “everybody should get cost of living increases,” considering she has often criticized wealthy Americans. Others noted that Ocasio-Cortez has been tied to “dark money” scandals, including some shady payments to her boyfriend, as IJR previously reported.
Congresswoman of the ppl pissed she makes high level 6 figures a yr… speaking of dark money. What would she call the deal her campaign had with her boyfriend? https://t.co/TQ2F1ozR0x
— Elisha (@ElishaKrauss) June 11, 2019
You know what would be a refreshing bit of self-awareness? It'd be for @AOC to recognize she's making the case for lower taxes because the more we try to "tax the rich," the more the rich will seek out "loopholes" and "shelters" to hang on to their money. Same principle. https://t.co/e30vJBAiO7
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) June 11, 2019
James Madison crushed it when he wrote the 27th amendment. Reps can vote to raise their pay, but they won't ever see a single dime of that raise if their constituents don't think they deserve it. Roll the dice, @AOC! https://t.co/bYCw0AVets
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) June 11, 2019
It isn’t clear if Congress will approve a salary increase. As Ocasio-Cortez noted, it is an unpopular move. The last time Congress got a raise was 2009.
NO WAYJOSE. We need term limits first and then a starting salary for congressmen and woman. We are making some of these old farts rich for doing NOTHING and barely even showing up for work. Screw their cost of living wage increase. Nobody else in real jobs gets anything like a $4500 raise for living expenses even in CA at big Tech companies.
Wow…don’t kill me here, but a city council person or mayor in an average-size middle American city can make that kind of money, (175,000), so this is a good deal for everyone-us & them! I used to get hacked off when they voted themselves a pay raise, which did seem like ‘every year’ – but it wasn’t what I thought. It’s always relative, too. Where it costs a fortune to live, like D.C., you need money just to pay rent. A lot of elected officials end up sleeping/living in their offices-so she’s not looking for a salon, manicure designer clothes… Read more »
There they go on pay raises, my company does not give cost of living raises. I work for a hospital. I am so very disappointed with our government.
Sure, AOC. “All the Animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” — Orwell
Of course she does – she knows a cash cow when she sees one. I sure hope she is voted out of office next election.
The Congress doesn’t even deserve their current wages — to raise them for doing nothing is a crime.
Congress voting on their raise in pay is a conflict of interest and should be left to an impartial group ,, I could readily understand most lawmakers would understand the immorality of it, but then I can also excuse this ignorant twit because of her stupidity
If she made more money selling her ass, I suggest she get back to it
She would have made a much better stripper than a politician.