Here's why Ocasio-Cortez says members of Congress need a raise in their $174k salary
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) reportedly said that she supported a proposed raise in the $174,000 salary for members of Congress, despite it being politically unpopular.
Chad Pergram of Fox News reported that the freshman member of Congress said that a prospective pay raise "may not be politically popular to say but honestly this is why there's so much pressure to turn to lobbying firms and to cash in on member service after people leave because precisely of this issue."
Her reasoning would fit with her recent efforts to ban former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists in order to cash in on their contacts after being a "public servant."
She was joined by a surprising ally when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted support for her opposition to lobbying, and they agreed to work on bi-partisan legislation for the policy.
Ocasio went on to explain why members of Congress would vote against pay raises, saying otherwise, "opponents could use it as a political exploit as a political issue.
"You can you can vote against pay increases all you want," she added, "it'll look good on its surface."
Ocasio-Cortez was mocked early in her congressional career when she complained that she could not afford an apartment in Washington D.C. until her first congressional pay check came in.
