And they had easy access to the White House with Ron Klain as Biden’s chief of staff.

They are now in the minority and far from the negotiating room where Joe Biden is trying to make a budget deal with Kevin McCarthy to raise the debt ceiling. Their main fight is trying to prevent the president from caving in to McCarthy on what they see as draconian budget cuts and policies that would weaken the social safety net.

And in the White House, it is no longer very clear who they should call.

AOC is well aware of these changing circumstances. She has been carefully watching the debt limit debate unfold and has a clear vision of what it is about: power, not politics.

In this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez tells Playbook host and co-author Ryan Lizza how House progressives can flex their muscles right now; and how she has learned to use her unique influence to influence legislation, even when she’s not at the table.

Finally, he has some advice – and a warning – for Joe Biden as we near the end of the debt limit.