Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended raises in congressional pay, calling opposition to doing so superficial politicking.

Fox News reported Monday that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez blamed low Congressional pay for the Washington revolving door and the power of lobbyists.

Raising Congressional pay “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,” she said, according to Fox News.

Ocasio Cortez says efforts to hike Congressional pay “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.” — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 11, 2019

She and other rank-and-file members of Congress make $174,000 per year, a number that hasn’t changed since 2009. The House speaker ($223,500) and the two party leaders in each chamber ($193,400) make a bit more.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat and a socialist, also reportedly blamed domestic political opponents for low Congressional pay, saying that resistance to Congressional pay increases is “superficial.”

“You can you can vote against pay increases all you want … it’ll look good on its surface, she said, according to Fox News, adding that voting to raise Congressional pay “may not be great optics … your opponents could use it as a political exploit as a political issue.”

Ocasio-Cortez says efforts to hike Congressional pay are “superficial. You can you can vote against pay increases all you want..it’ll look good on its surface” & voting yea “may not be great optics..your opponents could use it as a political exploit as a political issue.“ — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 11, 2019

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.