Vaishu Jawahar
Director
Vaishu is a Director in our Health practice. She brings a range of experience from the executive branch, legislative branch, and advocacy field. Before Waxman Strategies, Vaishu worked at the White House. As Domestic Policy Coordinator to the Vice President, she helped implement the Biden-Harris Blueprint to Address the Maternal Mortality Crisis and spearheaded equity-focused policy priorities. Prior to the Office of the Vice President, Vaishu interned with the White House Domestic Policy Council’s Health and Veterans team, where she monitored the implementation of the National Strategy on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition and drafted memos and talking points for senior officials on subjects ranging from maternal health to FDA regulation.
Previously, Vaishu was a grassroots organizer. She held multiple roles in healthcare advocacy groups and political campaigns, including the Committee to Protect Health Care, the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign, and the Obama 2012 campaign. At the Committee to Protect Health Care, Vaishu mobilized over 4,000 doctors to speak up for their patients – helping protect reproductive rights in Michigan, expand Medicaid in North Carolina, and secure paid sick leave for 30,000 workers in Virginia. Her work generated 517 TV hits, 351 written hits, $17.5 million in earned media, and headlines on CNN and Axios.
Vaishu also interned with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and worked with Enroll America to help North Carolinians gain coverage through the ACA. In addition, Vaishu brings a breadth of experience in health care to the team, from research at the National Institute of Health to shadowing doctors and public health officials in Appalachian Kentucky. Vaishu received a master’s degree in medical physiology and biophysics from the Georgetown University School of Medicine and graduated cum laude with a B.S. in biology and minors in political science and public health from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, running, and eating.
Our Team
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Served as Domestic Policy Coordinator to the Vice President
Worked with the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Senate HELP Committee, and the National Institute of Health
Recruited and mobilized over 4,000 doctors to advocate for policies that protect reproductive rights, expand access to care, and lower drug prices; supported the passage of Proposition 3 in Michigan, Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, and paid sick leave in Virginia