Tom Marino No Longer Nominated for Head of National Drug Policy
image via Marinoforcongress
Congressman Thomas “Tom” Anthony Marino’s candidacy as President Donald Trump’s House Office of National Drug Control Policy has been withdrawn.
This wasn’t a surprising decision, considering that an investigation was held by both The Washington Post and CBS’ “60 Minutes” was released on Sunday, October 15 which accused many members of Congress to have “helped fuel the opioid crisis”—including Marino. That particular investigation pointed out that Marino sponsored a bill in 2014 (which later became law in 2016) that prevents the DEA from being able to properly target drug distributors. According to The Washington Post, the publication wrote that this is “the crowning achievement of a multifaceted campaign by the drug industry to weaken aggressive DEA enforcement efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacists who peddled narcotics to the black market.”
After the report was released, Sen. Joe Manchin III and a few other Democrats requested that Trump withdraw Marino from consideration from the drug-policy position on Monday, October 16. Manchin released a statement as one of the first to request Marino’s release. “We need a drug czar who has seen these devastating effects and who is passionate about ending this opioid epidemic. I look forward to working with President Trump to find a drug czar that will serve West Virginians and our entire country,” he said. “It’s because of the fine journalists at The Washington Post and 60 Minutes that we have avoided appointing someone who could have made the opioid epidemic even worse. I am eager to make this wrong right and work with my colleagues and the President to repeal this horrible law that should have never passed in the first place.”
Trump finally tweeted on Tuesday, October 17 that Marino is officially no longer in the running. “Rep. Top Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar. Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!” Trump stated.
During a news conference on Monday, Trump reportedly showed little support for Marino, but only noted that his team would be looking into the report further. Trump did however state that he will declare that the opioid epidemic as a national emergency sometime next week.
