PRESS RELEASE
Rep. Tom Marino Forced To Decline Drug Czar Position
Oct. 17, 2017 (EIRNS)—Rep. Tom Marino (R-Penn.) has withdrawn from consideration as President Trump’s choice for Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, after it became widely known that he championed a bill that hindered federal agents from going after the big pharmaceutical firms that flooded the United States with addictive opioids.
President Donald Trump made the announcement this morning on Twitter: "Rep.Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar. Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman."
The Washington Post, in a rare deviation from its support of criminal people and policies, landed on the right side of this specific case. Marino was a big supporter of legislation passed by Congress that effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Agency of its most potent weapon against big drug companies suspected of of allowing prescription narcotics to flood America’s streets. The bill weakened a measure to spur aggressive Drug Enforcement Administration efforts against drug distribution companies that allowed prescription drugs to flow to corrupt doctors and pharmacists. Representative Marino supported the bill, and was supported by the prescription drug industry.
The law that Marino helped pass is still in effect, and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), whose home state of West Virginia has been hit especially hard by the opioid crisis, announced plans yesterday to repeal it.
Manchin said,
"I am horrified by how harmful this bill has been for our efforts to effectively fight the opioid epidemic and now it’s time to make it right. I introduced legislation to repeal this horrible bill and reinstate the DEA’s ability to stop opioid distributors and manufacturers who are endangering the American people."
