Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ plan to cap her staffers’ salaries benefits entry-level staffers but poses a risk that the freshman New York Democrat might suffer high turnover, congressional staffing experts say.
“She is hurting herself,” said former Rep. Dan Lungren, who was the head of the Committee on House Administration responsible for setting the budget for House members’ offices.
“Why are you putting handcuffs on yourself?” asked Lungren, who represented California as a Republican. “It makes for one good press release, and after that it is self-defeating.”
Ocasio-Cortez plans on setting a minimum salary for staffers of $52,000 and a maximum salary of $80,000, her communications director Corbin Trent told Roll Call Friday.
“I don’t think you always put the burden on the bottom,” said Trent, referring to entry-level congressional staff positions that typically pay around $30,000.
Ocasio-Cortez’ pay scale would especially affect those in lower- and higher-end staff positions. Senior-level congressional positions pay significantly higher than entry-level positions as they are meant to retain highly skilled and experienced personnel, while lower-paid positions are usually considered stepping-stones to higher-paying jobs for people with more experience.
The pay cut would put top salaries in her office well below the $154,634 average for the top congressional position, chief of staff, and the maximum $177,292 allowed by law for any congressional position, a move that would invite higher turnover.
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Lungren called Ocasio-Cortez’ unwillingness to adhere to the traditional pay structure, “very, very short-sighted.” He added the only way to compete with the higher-paying private sector was to be willing to pay competitive wages.
Casey Burgat, an expert on Congress at the R Street Institute who previously worked on issues of congressional staffing at the Congressional Research Service, said that the pay cap “may make sense” for Ocasio-Cortez’ office “given their commitment to her and her vision.”
Ocasio-Cortez, in her short time in office, has become one of the most prominent advocates of left-wing policies to lessen inequality, saying that an economic system that allows some people to be billionaires while others suffer poverty is “immoral.”
Burgat said, though, that the pay cap probably would not work as a policy for more or all offices to follow — if it were implemented more broadly, it would likely lead to a mass exodus of staffers to the private sector, where they would enjoy higher-paying, lower-stress jobs.
Ocasio-Cortez defended the pay cap on Twitter Friday. “We pinch pennies elsewhere, but it’s worth every dime to pay a living wage,” she said. She blamed congressional Republicans for refusing to budget more money for staff.
