Congress’s Paid Internships: One Program, 535 Sets of Rules

The main rule for Congress’s internship program is that there aren’t very many rules.

Interns are supposed to be there primarily for an “educational experience.” They are barred from working more than 120 days a year. As of this year, they’re covered under anti-harassment rules (Public Law 115-397).

Beyond that, there are no requirements to pay or provide a stipend, no maximum or minimum hours per week, and no guidelines for who members can hire or fire. Each office gets a $20,000 allowance for paying interns, a sum that may go up in the fall to $25,000 per ...