Forty House lawmakers are calling for a “living wage” for House interns, and an expansion of where funds set aside to pay interns can be used — including in district offices.

The proposal was introduced last week by Washington Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith. It would permanently authorize funding to pay interns an allowance, and it would permit offices to use intern compensation funds to pay them in district offices.

[Congress is crawling with rich kids. I should know, I was one of them]

Congress first approved funding specifically for intern pay in fiscal 2019. The Legislative Branch spending bill included $8.8 million to pay interns in the House and $5 million for intern pay in the Senate. The Senate funding is included in the accounts lawmakers use to pay staff salaries, official travel and office expenses. House funds were portioned into a newly created account for each member office.

One of the goals behind the move towards paying interns is to level the playing field so that a broader population can participate. High rents and cost of living in Washington D.C. make taking a summer or semester of unpaid work as an intern unfeasible for many students.