![]() CBO encourages women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans to apply. ![]() Previous NextĬBO is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity. I have had the privilege of working alongside and learning from some of the most brilliant professionals in economics and public policy and, from that, have gained a broader understanding of the overall process of the Congress’s legislative work. My internship has given me invaluable insight into the hard work necessary to produce the high-quality products CBO is well-known for. America’s young workers deserve better from their representatives.Within the communications office, I have assisted in responding to both public and media inquiries on behalf of CBO and contributed to curating communications strategies for disseminating some of the agency’s most important report releases. But it’s hypocritical for Congressional Democrats to emphasize the benefits of a job that pays $0 an hour, while at the same time raising barriers to employment for millions of others who are trying to enter the job market. There’s nothing wrong with offering unpaid opportunities for young constituents to gain experience and learn new skills. ![]() (Over one hundred real stories of minimum wage harm can be viewed at .) At the $15 level, this number would grow larger still. In a separate analysis, economists at Miami and Trinity universities followed the CBO’s methodology and estimated that more than 700,000 would be lost as a consequence of a $12 mandate. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a half-million jobs would be lost should the country move to a $10.10 minimum wage. Hiking the minimum wage, especially as steep as the “Raise the Wage Act” proposes, closes doors for these young people instead of opening them. According to a 2014 study by economists at the University of Virginia and Middle Tennessee State University, young adults who work part-time in high school earn higher wages later in their careers compared with those who don’t work. Just like unpaid internships, entry-level jobs teach important skills and are often stepping stones toward higher-paying jobs and careers. Unfortunately, this understanding on the value of a first job doesn’t seem to extend to the private sector. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer‘s (D-N.Y.) website states the internship provides, “a unique learning experience” and “an inside look at the political process.” Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) website states the internship will provide, “A unique opportunity to learn about the functions of the U.S. Many senators and representatives who are co-sponsors of the “Raise the Wage Act” note on their websites that participants will benefit in other ways besides a paycheck. (The full list of cosponsors and the compensation details of their internship programs are available here.) However, Sanders’ office pays interns $12 an hour, short of his $15 demand from the private sector. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), is the only member who pays an hourly wage. Ten members from both chambers offer some form of a stipend the bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. (Ditto for 96 percent of the co-sponsors of the 2013 “Fair Minimum Wage Act.”) A previous analysis conducted two years ago by EPI found that 94 percent of the House and Senate co-sponsors of the 2015 bill to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour did not pay their interns. ![]() This “do as I say, not as I do” approach to the minimum wage is not new for Democrats in Congress. The recently-introduced Raise the Wage Act of 2017 would increase the federal minimum wage by 107 percent, to $15 an hour from $7.25. A new Employment Policies Institute analysis shows that 95 percent of the House and Senate sponsors and co-sponsors hire interns for $0 an hour. ![]() Who knew they’d also get an object lesson in Capitol Hill hypocrisy? for the summer to learn the legislative process. It’s intern season in the nation’s capital, where hundreds of young adults decamp to D.C. ![]()
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