One of the definitive highlights of my time in D.C. thus far has been attending United States congressional hearings. I went to my first hearing during our second week here, and I have to admit that I was a bit nervous. I’ve been to plenty of hearings in the Ohio legislature, but this was a totally different ball game. The first hearing I got to attend dealt with the 21^st Century Cures bill, and important bipartisan bill that if passed would make a huge and positive impact on the world of so far uncured diseases, especially multiple sclerosis which I deal with directly in my internship. Luckily I attended a hearing towards the end of the committee process for this particular bill, and at the end of the hearing the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed it unanimously! The passage of the bill was a huge coup for the National MS Society, who has been working for its approval for two years.  

In addition to the exciting 21^st hearing, I also attended a Senate hearing on the status of the Health Information Exchange, which was very interesting and also very pertinent to our organization. The highlight of this hearing was seeing, and sitting very close to, Elizabeth Warren! I like to think of congressmen and women as “celebrities for nerds” and I am definitely a nerd. Being able to sit in on a hearing and watching her work was one of the coolest experiences thus far in my internship. And Senator Warren really rocks that purple blazer. 

-Shelby Berger