Members of Congress Vote for Higher Minimum Wage While Offering Unpaid Internships

Capitol Confidential ^ | 11/6/2010 | Jarrett Skorup

[MichCapCon]

In 2007, both of Michigan's senators and seven of the House of Representative members currently serving voted to raise the federal minimum wage. However, all nine of these elected officials offer unpaid internships for their congressional offices.

This information comes on the heels of an Obama administration announcement this past spring that the Department of Labor would begin cracking down on unpaid internships offered by private businesses. The department seeks to eliminate unpaid internships for nearly all for-profit companies.

Some believe this is a sign of hypocrisy by these members of congress and that there is value in unpaid internships.

"If these congressional members truly believe it is exploitation to hire workers below the minimum wage, then surely hiring workers for nothing is even worse," says Donald Boudreaux, a professor of economics at George Mason University.

"How do they explain themselves?"...

[bgill]

Sniff, sniff. IOW, raise the min. wage so the dollar is worth less so that $800 Billion doesn’t loom so large.

[oblomov]

When I interned on the Hill in the late 80s, I and all of the other interns I knew were paid. Are unpaid internships there a new phenomenon?

[sten]

Raising the minimum will automatically give a raise to union members... As their contracts are generally tied to a percentage above minimum

[newheart]

They have both paid and unpaid internships.

[Thunder90]

There are even internships that you have to pay a fee to intern there, and/or apply to the internship. The cost can go as high as $3000 for a DC internship (Just to apply).

[newheart]

Wow, I didn’t know that. Last Spring my son had an unpaid internship with our Congresswoman (who just won the election for Governor). He said that there were paid internships but they required more time than he had.