Thread by @AOC

Let’s talk abt how Gov works behind the scenes: Remember that Big Pharma hearing last week?

Here’s how it happened.

A 23 y/o staffer in my office met w/ local HIV advocates. They argued the CDC held the patent for PrEP & Gilead was price gouging.

She picked it up + dug in. /1

After vetting the case these organizers presented, she saw that it seemed they were. She passed it by me and our office engaged the Oversight Committee.

Committee staffers are CRITICAL. They have the expertise, tenure, relationships, etc to investigate issues + inquiries. /2

In working with our staffer, Oversight Committee was able to pull in request a great deal of docs and evidence in the case.

Bc Dems won the House, Dems control committees + Chairs.

It was the leadership of the Chairman @RepCummings that brought the issue to a hearing. /3

Chairman/woman leadership varies widely in style.

For ex, Seniority matters a LOT in Congress. But Chairman Cummings is generous w/ junior members. He invests a lot of time in training a high standard of excellence on the Committee of ALL members.

So he gave us a rare shot. /4

We held the hearing. PrEP is going generic a year early.

It was thanks to:
- Everyday people who advocated & didn’t quit until someone listened
- A young staffer who listened & dug in
- Committee staff that took her seriously
- Generous leadership that cultivates the next gen /5

It ALL started with everyday people.

You would really be surprised how much work here gets started because a journalist picked up on a story, or advocates organized people to command notice of an issue.

It’s inspiring how much power everyday people have. We just need to use it.