SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks to a supporter outside of her office in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill February 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Ocasio-Cortez: Living Wage for Staff Is 'Common-Sense' Policy
"The next time GOP screams 'socialist,'" New York Democrat says in reaction to Fox News hit job, "know that's their go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy."
Feb 24, 2019
Add Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) paying a living wage to staffers to the ideas Fox News considers "communism."
On Sunday, "Fox & Friends" host Pete Hegseth railed against a report that Ocasio-Cortez will start staff salaries at $52,000 a year and cap salaries at $80,000 a year. The cap will allow the Congresswoman to pay interns $15 an hour, a pledge she made in December.
"Everyone's between 52 and 80," said Hegseth. "It's actually socialism and communism on display."
Hegseth's comments came on the heels of a Saturday tweet by Fox News contributor Dan Bongino, who took issue with the fact that Ocasio-Cortez's office is funded by taxpayers. "She's NOT paying this 'living wage,' YOU are," wrote Bongino.
Ocasio-Cortez fired back on Twitter Monday morning, saying that the Republican Party's reaction to her paying her staffers a living wage, through its mouthpiece Fox News, revealed the GOP is "disconnected from the basic idea that people should be paid enough to live."
\u201cThe GOP is so disconnected from the basic idea that people should be paid enough to live that Fox actually thinks me paying a living wage in my office is \u201ccommunism.\u201d\n\nSo the next time GOP screams \u201csocialist,\u201d know that\u2019s their go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1551104504
The Congresswoman expanded on the idea in a longer post on Instagram, saying that her office was constrained by its allotted budget but that she wanted to ensure her staff could survive in one of the nation's most affluent cities.
"Only people who work 80+hr weeks w/ multiple jobs without an outside life, or whose parents can supplement their pay can have the opportunity to work in the nation's capital," wrote Ocasio-Cortez. "That has real consequences for government being out of touch w/ the people we serve on all levels."
The salary increases were generally praised on the left, though some commentators like author Jacob Bacharach pointed out that the pay, while generous, is still below what's needed to live in the capitol. "Let's not forget that that's something like $34K take-home, or around $2,800/month in a city where average rent is $2K+," wrote Bacharach in a Twitter thread detailing the issues with the DC housing market. "DC's problem is less absurdly underpaid government workers than a deranged speculative housing market!"
If Ocasio-Cortez tries to address the latter issue, the same attacks on "socialism" will likely be leveled against her. After all, as the Congresswoman noted in her tweet, that's their "go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Add Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) paying a living wage to staffers to the ideas Fox News considers "communism."
On Sunday, "Fox & Friends" host Pete Hegseth railed against a report that Ocasio-Cortez will start staff salaries at $52,000 a year and cap salaries at $80,000 a year. The cap will allow the Congresswoman to pay interns $15 an hour, a pledge she made in December.
"Everyone's between 52 and 80," said Hegseth. "It's actually socialism and communism on display."
Hegseth's comments came on the heels of a Saturday tweet by Fox News contributor Dan Bongino, who took issue with the fact that Ocasio-Cortez's office is funded by taxpayers. "She's NOT paying this 'living wage,' YOU are," wrote Bongino.
Ocasio-Cortez fired back on Twitter Monday morning, saying that the Republican Party's reaction to her paying her staffers a living wage, through its mouthpiece Fox News, revealed the GOP is "disconnected from the basic idea that people should be paid enough to live."
\u201cThe GOP is so disconnected from the basic idea that people should be paid enough to live that Fox actually thinks me paying a living wage in my office is \u201ccommunism.\u201d\n\nSo the next time GOP screams \u201csocialist,\u201d know that\u2019s their go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1551104504
The Congresswoman expanded on the idea in a longer post on Instagram, saying that her office was constrained by its allotted budget but that she wanted to ensure her staff could survive in one of the nation's most affluent cities.
"Only people who work 80+hr weeks w/ multiple jobs without an outside life, or whose parents can supplement their pay can have the opportunity to work in the nation's capital," wrote Ocasio-Cortez. "That has real consequences for government being out of touch w/ the people we serve on all levels."
The salary increases were generally praised on the left, though some commentators like author Jacob Bacharach pointed out that the pay, while generous, is still below what's needed to live in the capitol. "Let's not forget that that's something like $34K take-home, or around $2,800/month in a city where average rent is $2K+," wrote Bacharach in a Twitter thread detailing the issues with the DC housing market. "DC's problem is less absurdly underpaid government workers than a deranged speculative housing market!"
If Ocasio-Cortez tries to address the latter issue, the same attacks on "socialism" will likely be leveled against her. After all, as the Congresswoman noted in her tweet, that's their "go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy."
Add Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) paying a living wage to staffers to the ideas Fox News considers "communism."
On Sunday, "Fox & Friends" host Pete Hegseth railed against a report that Ocasio-Cortez will start staff salaries at $52,000 a year and cap salaries at $80,000 a year. The cap will allow the Congresswoman to pay interns $15 an hour, a pledge she made in December.
"Everyone's between 52 and 80," said Hegseth. "It's actually socialism and communism on display."
Hegseth's comments came on the heels of a Saturday tweet by Fox News contributor Dan Bongino, who took issue with the fact that Ocasio-Cortez's office is funded by taxpayers. "She's NOT paying this 'living wage,' YOU are," wrote Bongino.
Ocasio-Cortez fired back on Twitter Monday morning, saying that the Republican Party's reaction to her paying her staffers a living wage, through its mouthpiece Fox News, revealed the GOP is "disconnected from the basic idea that people should be paid enough to live."
\u201cThe GOP is so disconnected from the basic idea that people should be paid enough to live that Fox actually thinks me paying a living wage in my office is \u201ccommunism.\u201d\n\nSo the next time GOP screams \u201csocialist,\u201d know that\u2019s their go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1551104504
The Congresswoman expanded on the idea in a longer post on Instagram, saying that her office was constrained by its allotted budget but that she wanted to ensure her staff could survive in one of the nation's most affluent cities.
"Only people who work 80+hr weeks w/ multiple jobs without an outside life, or whose parents can supplement their pay can have the opportunity to work in the nation's capital," wrote Ocasio-Cortez. "That has real consequences for government being out of touch w/ the people we serve on all levels."
The salary increases were generally praised on the left, though some commentators like author Jacob Bacharach pointed out that the pay, while generous, is still below what's needed to live in the capitol. "Let's not forget that that's something like $34K take-home, or around $2,800/month in a city where average rent is $2K+," wrote Bacharach in a Twitter thread detailing the issues with the DC housing market. "DC's problem is less absurdly underpaid government workers than a deranged speculative housing market!"
If Ocasio-Cortez tries to address the latter issue, the same attacks on "socialism" will likely be leveled against her. After all, as the Congresswoman noted in her tweet, that's their "go-to attack for any common-sense, humane policy."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.