Over 200 former White House interns call on Biden to pay interns

A group of more than 200 former White House interns is calling on President-elect Joe Biden to add compensation to the position, saying it would open the program to a more socio-economically and racially diverse group of applicants.

“The fact is, unpaid internships perpetuate those inequities,” the group wrote in a letter organized by Pay Our Interns, an advocacy group. “They prevent young people of color and low socioeconomic status from gaining valuable professional experience because they cannot afford to work for free.”

The group also argued that the White House could set an example to others by ensuring that interns are paid.

“When young people are asked to work for free, government and business are effectively excluding low income people from these opportunities,” said Pay Our Interns Executive Director Carlos Mark Vera. “By paying White House interns, the Biden Administration has the opportunity to lead and set the standard for the public and private sector to follow.”

If Biden heeds the group’s calls, he will follow the House and Senate, which included funding for all offices to pay interns in their 2019 appropriations bills. 

Democrats have since pushed to add to the $11 million fund to increase intern pay to $15 an hour.