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Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaks to the press with Senator John McCain of Arizona after a meeting between President Barack Obama and the Democratic Caucus regarding the health care reform plan at the US Capitol in Washington on December 6, 2009.
Some Republicans’ tweets condemning Democrats for a lack of transparency during the drafting of the Affordable Care Act have not aged well.
Democrats were not particularly forthcoming while crafting the Affordable Care Act, drawing scorn from the public and politicians alike. Now, it’s Senate Republicans who are writing their own secret health-care bill.
In 2009, then-congressman Mike Pence, now vice president, slammed the Democrats’ process:
“It’s simply wrong for legislation that’ll affect 100% of the American people to be negotiated behind closed doors”
Sen. Orrin Hatch tweeted that the real health-care bill was “being written behind closed doors in the dark corners of the Capitol.” Sen. John Cornyn insisted Americans “have a right to know what is happening behind closed door with secret” health-care negotiations.
Then-congressman Tom Price, now Secretary of Health and Human Services, accused Democrats of sacrificing the trust of the American people. Sen. John McCain called the situation a “disgrace” in a tweet.
MCCAIN TWEET
The Republicans have been almost completely silent on the issue this time around. Sen. John Cornyn responded on Twitter to a reporter asking him to share details of the new bill, promising he eventually would.
CORNYN TWEET
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is leading the Affordable Care Act repeal effort in the Senate, did not join Twitter until March 2013. On Tuesday, McConnell tweeted a link to a press release filled with stories about Democrats’ handling of writing the original law.
The Senate is expected to see the bill on Thursday and vote on the bill before it convenes for the July Fourth recess.
