The animator of "Fox & Friends" said that socialism and communism put forth by the staff of Ocasio-Cortez



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The co-host of the weekend "Fox & Friends," Pete Hegseth, said Sunday that the representative. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) Limiting the incomes of senior staff to pay each member of his staff an annual salary of at least $ 52,000 was an example of communism and socialism.

"It's actually socialism and communism that are exposing themselves," Hegseth said in a weekend version of the popular Fox News program.

Hegseth made these comments while a group of co-hosts discussed Ocasio-Cortez's decision to pay what she described as a "living wage" to staff members. his office.

"It's probably one of the highest starting salaries on the Hill," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter on Friday. "We are looking for money everywhere else, but it's worth it to pay a living wage."

Corbin Trent, Ocasio-Cortez's director of communications, told Roll Call that the salary for the congressman's office would be $ 80,000 because of the policy. The median salary for top congressional staff is $ 154,634, according to a Legistorm analysis reported by USA Today last year, composed of Congressional staff leaders.

Ocasio-Cortez announced in December that she would also pay her trainees at least $ 15 per hour.

Hegseth criticized the decision noting that "every Capitol Hill office has a limited amount of money to pay its staff."

"So you have to decide on the distribution, and she said that all the staff in my office would pay a living wage," Hegseth said, adding that his pay policy would lead his chief of staff to a salary lower than " real market rate ". "

Katie Pavlich of Fox News, who is also an opinion contributor for The Hill, responded by saying that she had no problem with Ocasio-Cortez's decision.

"Let's not forget where this money comes from. They do not earn that money in his office, " she added. "They do not run a business in which they make a profit and they bring in money, it comes from the taxpayers and goes to his office and he can move it."

"If it was market-based, it could perhaps pay $ 52,000 a year to front-line employees, given the market value of these positions in the private sector."

Hegseth closed the debate by wondering if Ocasio-Cortez would share a portion of his salary with his staff.

"Do you want to share some of this money, Miss Congressman, with the rest of your staff who are not earning as much as you?", He asked.

The Ocasio-Cortez office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

Ocasio-Cortez said his pay commitment on Saturday said "many commentators do not know how congressional salaries work."

"Each member receives a fixed amount that he pays. GOP has refused to increase budgets over the years to give an increase in hard staff, which means that people who help run the country are paid $ 30,000 a year, "she wrote. Twitter, adding that "low wages" were "a major reason why money in politics is a problem".

Trent told Roll Call last week that Ocasio-Cortez staff would likely have 18 members, the limit set by Congress.

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