AOC: When I was 16 years old, my dad was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. His prognosis was not good. The doctors said that with the treatments they had, their options were limited, but there was an experimental trial. For millions across this country—whose child has a rare disease, whose parent is on death’s door, or who themselves have no treatment options—clinical trials are one of the only ways to extend their lives.
My dad was admitted to that trial, and his cancer went into remission for a brief period. We got two to three more years with him before he eventually passed away. I can tell you that two more years with my dad, three more years with a child, or a lifetime for those saved by NIH’s work—these people don’t think it’s wasteful. They don’t think what’s happening now is acceptable.
Look at the reaction of grown men who have played football for decades and are at the top of their profession watching Saquon Barkley do something they have never seen before.