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.