Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) lamented the cost of working as a member of Congress in an Instagram post despite her substantial congressional salary.
Members of Congress are required to occupy one residence in Washington, D.C., as well as one in the state from which they are representing, according to the New York Democrat. This leads to “class dynamics” within Congress and causes economic strains for those who struggle to afford two residences, she argued.
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“It’s insanely expensive, there is no stipend or per diem for it, and you’re not allowed to write it off even though your job forces you to have it. This creates real class dynamics in the House,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram story. “Many sleep in their offices, but if you are caught, it could get bad for many reasons, including violations.”
Members of Congress make an annual salary of $174,000 as of 2022, an amount that was set in 2009. Congressional salaries historically had been automatically increased every year in response to cost-of-living increases, but Congress has annually voted since 2010 not to accept the increase.
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Despite the higher-than-average salary, Ocasio-Cortez argued the requirement to occupy two residences makes things costly for those with working-class backgrounds — and it can distract from legislating and campaigning if members choose to rent rather than buy, she said.
“I rent in both cities. It’s so so much,” she wrote. “We have to find a new apartment in NYC soon and I’m STRESSED. Rent is wild and the idea of [apartment] searching and moving while legislating and campaigning is yikes.”
