Ocasio-Cortez, Who Makes Triple Average Household Income, Defends $4,500 Pay Hike: ‘Not Even Like a Raise’

OCASIO CORTEZ You know ░░░░░░░░ may not be popular ░░░░░░░░ say but this is ░░░░░░░░ there s so much ░░░░░░░░ to turn to lobbying ░░░░░░░░ and to cash in ░░░░░░░░ member service after people ░░░░░░░░ because precisely of this ░░░░░░░░ So it may be ░░░░░░░░ convenient and it may ░░░░░░░░ you look good in ░░░░░░░░ short term for saying ░░░░░░░░ we re not voting ░░░░░░░░ pay increases But we ░░░░░░░░ be fighting for pay ░░░░░░░░ for every American worker ░░░░░░░░ should be fighting for ░░░░░░░░ 15 minimum wage pegged ░░░░░░░░ inflation so that everybody ░░░░░░░░ the United States with ░░░░░░░░ salary with a wage ░░░░░░░░ a constant living increase ░░░░░░░░ of Congress retail workers ░░░░░░░░ should get cost of ░░░░░░░░ increases to accommodate for ░░░░░░░░ changes in our economy ░░░░░░░░ then if we don ░░░░░░░░ do that it only ░░░░░░░░ the pressure on members ░░░░░░░░ exploit loopholes like insider ░░░░░░░░ loopholes to make it ░░░░░░░░ the backline REPORTER You ░░░░░░░░ there s a tendency ░░░░░░░░ members to obviously take ░░░░░░░░ out on this institution ░░░░░░░░ it s an optics ░░░░░░░░ they don t want ░░░░░░░░ seem like OCASIO CORTEZ ░░░░░░░░ And that s my ░░░░░░░░ is that it s ░░░░░░░░ You know you can ░░░░░░░░ against pay increases all ░░░░░░░░ want In my opinion ░░░░░░░░ against a pay voting ░░░░░░░░ a it s not ░░░░░░░░ like a raise It ░░░░░░░░ a cost of living ░░░░░░░░ So you can vote ░░░░░░░░ the cost of living ░░░░░░░░ all you want and ░░░░░░░░ ll look good on ░░░░░░░░ surface but every cost ░░░░░░░░ living adjustment that gets ░░░░░░░░ is voting to increase ░░░░░░░░ pressure to exploit loopholes ░░░░░░░░ legal loopholes to kind ░░░░░░░░ lean on other ways ░░░░░░░░ enrich oneself in service ░░░░░░░░ my whole side of ░░░░░░░░ is like it may ░░░░░░░░ be optics it may ░░░░░░░░ be great optics It ░░░░░░░░ not like look the ░░░░░░░░ in terms of your ░░░░░░░░ could exploit it as ░░░░░░░░ political issue But in ░░░░░░░░ you might as well ░░░░░░░░ transparent about a cost ░░░░░░░░ living increase fight for ░░░░░░░░ cost of living increase ░░░░░░░░ all American workers peg ░░░░░░░░ minimum wage to a ░░░░░░░░ of living increase And ░░░░░░░░ on top of it ░░░░░░░░ a lot of loopholes ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ when it comes to ░░░░░░░░ on a committee and ░░░░░░░░ what legislation may be ░░░░░░░░ down the loophole and ░░░░░░░░ your stock holdings You ░░░░░░░░ these are real issues ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ voting against a cost ░░░░░░░░ living increase is going ░░░░░░░░ negate the actual issues ░░░░░░░░ hand In fact it ░░░░░░░░ increases the pressure for ░░░░░░░░ to exploit those loopholes”