The Employment Policies Institute found that 96 percent of House and Senate sponsors of the minimum wage bill do not pay their interns. That includes lead bill sponsors, like Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, according to the study.

As a whole, most members of Congress -- whether they support an increased minimum wage or not -- do not pay interns. But the Employment Policies Institute argues that the practice shows "sponsors are legislating with a 'do as I say, not as I do' approach."

President Obama is expected to reiterate his call for an increase in the federal minimum wage in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

The unpaid intern is somewhat of a fixture on Capitol Hill. An Atlantic piece over the summer on the practice noted that lawmakers often cast those sought-after positions as educational and resume-building experiences.

that's why thy are called interns and not employees

I have done internships in my schooling, never got a dime, got credit towards my 'education' instead,,

Yep, an internship is often a non-paid position.