NPR

New Congresswoman Will Pay Her Interns $15 An Hour. Is That A Big Deal?

"Time to walk the walk," Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "Very few members of Congress actually pay their interns. We will be one of them." With new appropriations, other members may soon join her.
Democratic Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York (left) has pledged to pay her interns $15 an hour. She is seen here with Democratic Rep.-elect Deb Haaland of New Mexico.

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes office next month, representing New York's 14th District, she will be a part of the "blue wave" of new Democrats in the House. But the 29-year-old may end up being a part of a different kind of wave, too: a bipartisan effort for members of Congress to pay the interns they employ.

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