Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.) defended her support for cost-of-living increases for members of Congress on Tuesday, saying her position will help keep dark money out of politics.

She said voting against a cost-of-living increase can "sound nice" but doing so makes campaign finance reform harder. She added it serves to "punish members who rely on a straight salary, and reward those who rely on money loopholes and other forms of self-dealing."

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"It’s not a fun or politically popular position to take. But consistency is important," she tweeted. "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," she added.

The self-proclaimed democratic socialist also said that worker co-ops and collective bargaining are other forums in which worker pay increases can be voted on.

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

What this does is punish members who rely on a straight salary, and reward those who rely on money loopholes and other forms of self-dealing.



For example, it incentivizes the horrible kinds of legislative looting we saw in the GOP tax scam bill. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2019

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

In democratically socialist businesses (like worker co-ops) or methods (like collective bargaining) you actually CAN vote for a worker pay increase.



Many do!



We can’t pass these laws bc of big money. This is how you chip at it.



Like I said, it’s not popular but I’m being https://t.co/toFwbs56x0 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2019

On Monday, House Democrats pulled a spending bill that would have given raises to members of Congress former the first time in a decade after it received pushback from swing state lawmakers.

Ocasio-Cortez has been outspoken on living wage issues and campaign finance reform.