Internships are considered a staple on most young people’s resumes. But for many, those opportunities are inaccessible.

Many political employers, like politicians, campaigns, and issue-driven companies and nonprofits, are notorious for only offering unpaid internships.

Unpaid internships aren’t only exploitative—they perpetuate inequity. Marginalized people, like women, people of color, queer and trans people, disabled people, and low-income people, often cannot afford to work for free, which means they’re cut off from opportunities to start or advance their career.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is working to fix this problem: he recently announced his office will start paying interns, and urged his colleagues in Congress to do the same.

All politicians should follow Van Hollen’s lead. Offering paid internships will open the door to create a more diverse, equitable government—it’s beyond time to make that happen.

Sign now if you agree that political employers must pay their interns.