Members of Congress are required to live in 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 pushes economic strains for those who struggle to afford two residences, she claimed.
“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.”
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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 pass the increase.
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Despite the higher-than-average salary, Ocasio-Cortez claimed the need to live in two residences makes things expensive for those with working-class backgrounds — and it can distract from legislating and campaigning if members choose to rent rather than buy, she said.
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“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.”
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Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared for the first time on a Washington Post ranking of potential Democratic presidential candidates — that also showed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pulling ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in the No. 2 slot behind President Biden.
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Ocasio-Cortez stayed at No. 10 in the newspaper’s survey of possible contenders in the 2024 election, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom grew two spots to No. 7 right behind Sanders and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer debuted on the list at No. 8.
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Biden wasn’t included in the rankings compiled in December 2021 because of speculation at the time that he would be a one-term president and because polls showed that Democratic-leaning voters narrowly preferred “someone not named Biden on the ballot in 2024.”
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But the Washington Post began including Biden’s name to the list in its April rankings and in the most recent survey.
“The reason: There might come a time when the incumbent president isn’t the most likely nominee the next time around, for whatever reason. And his own 2024 maneuverings were suddenly very much worth evaluating in real time,” the newspaper said.
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