Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continued her argument in favor of increasing congressional pay in a series of eyebrow-raising posts on Twitter.
The freshman Democrat doubled down on her support for pay raises for Congress, leaving many to feel like her comments exposed her socialist agenda and amounted to a form of “extortion.”
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez responded on Twitter to a comment on the decision by House Democrats to suspend their efforts to secure a pay raise for the first time in nearly ten years.
The 29-year-old lawmaker who has been in office all of six months, collecting a $174,000 taxpayer-funded salary, told Fox News that the proposed $4,500 pay increase was “not even like a raise.”
Not getting those pay hikes, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez argued on Tuesday morning, will encourage the ongoing existence of “dark money loopholes.”
She also added that the system then rewards “those who rely on money loopholes and other forms of self-dealing” when they are not given pay raises.
The self-proclaimed Democratic socialist drove her point home, and apparently believed that her argument was a good one in favor of pay raises.
“Voting against cost of living increases is 1 reason why dark $ loopholes stay open,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
One of many Twitter users who pushed back against AOC’s remarks, suggesting Congress should et some work done before voting to give themselves a pay raise, prompted Rep. Ocasio-Cortez to tout the benefits of “democratically socialist businesses” and methods.
“Nah @AOC I disagree with you here. Pass term limits, immigration reform, min. Wage increase first, then you can adjust your salaries for cost of living. I’m sure we all would vote to give ourselves a raise too but we can’t.” said a post on Twitter.
But advocating for a pay raise, while warning that voting against the increase will mean “dark money” wins, was not only a questionable stance, it was one that didn’t win many over to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.
Fed-up Americans trying to pay their bills earning regular paychecks called out Rep. Ocasio-Cortez with scathing reminders about counting her blessings – and doing her job.