Starting in January 2018, the Democratic National Committee will begin paying some interns, in the form of stipends valued at up to $3,000. A spokesman for the DNC told the Huffington Post that chair Tom Perez’s mission for the intern program is to “give the young voices in our party the opportunity to grow,” and that the new paid internships will help the DNC “select the most qualified and diverse individuals regardless of financial background.”

The DNC is a little late to the party. The Republican National Committee has been offering stipends to its full-time interns for at least 20 years. Plus, according to a June study from Pay Our Internships, more congressional Republicans pay their interns than do congressional Democrats.

In the U.S. Senate, 51% of Republicans offer paid internships and 31% of Democrats pay their interns. In the House, 8% (19/238) of Republican Representatives pay interns and 3.6% (7/193) of Democrat Representatives pay.

It’s not clear why the DNC hasn’t paid its interns in the past, nor why it’s starting now. As it turns out, the Democrats simply can’t afford this. The DNC has been raking in less and less money during fundraising — it posted its worst October since 2003 this year– and is sitting on $3.2 million in debt. Adding such a cost will certainly make matters worse for the party; is it even paying attention to its drastic financial situation?