Rep. Tom Marino, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the nation’s drug czar, is withdrawing from consideration following reports he played a key role in weakening the federal government’s authority to stop companies from distributing opioids.
Trump tweeted this morning that the Republican Pennsylvania congressman “has informed me that he is withdrawing his name.” He praised Marino as “a fine man and a great congressman.”
The president had raised the possibility Monday of withdrawing Marino’s nomination after reports by The Washington Post and 60 Minutes.
On Sunday, it was reported that Marino and other members of Congress, along with the nation’s major drug distributors, prevailed upon the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department to agree to an industry-friendly law that undermined efforts to restrict the flow of pain pills that have led to tens of thousands of deaths. President Barack Obama signed the law in April 2016.
The industry reportedly worked behind the scenes with lobbyists and key members of Congress, including Marino, pouring more than a million dollars into their election campaigns.
Read the full story, and check out a June Business Report cover story that explores how the opioid epidemic has infiltrated Louisiana’s workforce.
