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| Tom Marino: Controversial Trump drug czar pick withdraws | Tom Marino: Controversial Trump drug czar pick withdraws |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US President Donald Trump says his drug czar nominee has withdrawn, after he reportedly helped weaken government efforts to tackle the opioid crisis. | US President Donald Trump says his drug czar nominee has withdrawn, after he reportedly helped weaken government efforts to tackle the opioid crisis. |
| Pennsylvania congressman Tom Marino pushed a bill that reportedly stripped a federal agency of the ability to freeze suspicious painkiller shipments. | Pennsylvania congressman Tom Marino pushed a bill that reportedly stripped a federal agency of the ability to freeze suspicious painkiller shipments. |
| Mr Trump tweeted: "Rep Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar." | Mr Trump tweeted: "Rep Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar." |
| Experts estimate opioids could kill 500,000 Americans in the next decade. | Experts estimate opioids could kill 500,000 Americans in the next decade. |
| Deadly addiction to the drugs - which cover everything from legal painkillers to heroin - has been described as America's biggest public health crisis since the spread of HIV/Aids in the 1980s. | Deadly addiction to the drugs - which cover everything from legal painkillers to heroin - has been described as America's biggest public health crisis since the spread of HIV/Aids in the 1980s. |
| "Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!" President Trump said in Tuesday morning's tweet. | "Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!" President Trump said in Tuesday morning's tweet. |
| But Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said nominating Mr Marino to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy was "like putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse". | But Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said nominating Mr Marino to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy was "like putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse". |
| The decision to withdraw came one day after President Trump was pressed about the allegations surrounding Mr Marino, that were detailed in an expose by the Washington Post and CBS News' 60 Minutes programme. | |
| The joint investigation found that Mr Marino and fellow Republican lawmaker, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, helped force out an official at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who was taking on the pharmaceutical firms. | |
| The two also pushed legislation last year that made it harder for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prevent shipments of pills to rogue pharmacies and corrupt doctors around the US, according to the report. The act was signed into law by President Barack Obama. | |
| Suspension orders - which the DEA slaps on such questionable shipments - have not been issued for at least two years, according to the report. | |
| Both Mr Marino and Ms Blackburn's home states have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic. | |
| Ms Blackburn reportedly received $120,000 (£90,000) in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies. | |
| She is now facing the political fallout in her campaign for a Senate seat in Tennessee. | |
| Mr Trump also said on Monday he would formally declare a national opioid emergency next week, as he pledged to do more than two months ago. | |
| More on the US opioid crisis |