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New York millennial can't afford to move to D.C. before her job in Congress starts

Like many millennials, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist and youngest woman ever elected to Congress, is living paycheck to paycheck.
Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez can't afford to move to D.C. before her job in Congress starts

Millennial congresswomen, they’re just like us. No, really, this one is.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist and youngest woman ever elected to Congress, can’t afford to rent an apartment in Washington, D.C. before her job starts in January.

“I have three months without a salary before I’m a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment?” Ocasio-Cortez, 29, told the New York Times. “We’re kind of just dealing with the logistics of it day by day, but I’ve really been just kind of squirreling away and then hoping that gets me to January.”

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Ocasio-Cortez shocked the country when she secured a primary victory over New York Rep. Joe Crowley, the 10-term incumbent who was widely believed to be the most powerful Democrat in the House after Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Before she turned to politics, Ocasio-Cortez worked as a bartender.

Now she’s telling voters not to worry about her housing situation.

“There are many little ways in which our electoral system isn’t even designed (nor prepared) for working-class people to lead,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “This is one of them (don’t worry btw - we’re working it out!)”

Ocasio-Cortez is widely viewed as an up-and-coming star in the Democratic Party in the wake of her surprise win, fueled in part by her leftist policy ideas, which more closely align with millennial voters than her future congressional colleagues. She believes, for example, in single-payer healthcare and has suggested taxing Wall Street to fully fund public universities. She also supports “clean campaign finance,” and has said she will not accept corporate donations.

Cover image: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addresses the crowd gathered at La Boom night club in Queens on November 6, 2018 in New York City. Photo by Rick Loomis/Getty Images.