Years before Mike Pence was elected vice president, he was just one of 435 members of the House of Representatives. It's hardly surprising that this Republican was a staunch opponent of President Barack Obama's landmark health care bill, the Affordable Care Act.
That said, one criticism Pence had of Obama's legislation is coming back to bite him in a big way. It was all in a tweet.
That tweet was from January 2010 — right around the time that the Obama administration was nearly through with its successful push to pass the Affordable Care Act, and because Democrats were criticized for acting quickly and secretly, Republicans like Pence were quick to lambaste them for doing so.
It's not a surprise that many commenters on Twitter are drawing attention to the double standard has Pence has set, by in 2010 expressing his opposition to health care bill secrecy but now presumably supporting the Senate Republicans' behind the scenes maneuvering.
Of course, Pence isn't the only powerful Republican who has flip-flopped on this issue since the Obama era. A video compilation posted on Twitter by NBC News shows Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaking out against the secrecy of the legislative process years ago. (The video also depicts Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who has also expressed reservations about the Republicans' actions today.)
As NBC's Brad Jaffy also pointed out, McConnell complained at the time, "We shouldn't try to do it in the dark. And whatever final bill is produced should be available to the American public and to the members of the Senate, certainly, for enough time to come to grips with it."
Republicans on health care bill in 2009. Watch. pic.twitter.com/ABrpD21CSY
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 20, 2017
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