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| Tom Marino: Controversial Trump drug czar pick withdraws | Tom Marino: Controversial Trump drug czar pick withdraws |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US President Donald Trump says his drug czar nominee has withdrawn, after he reportedly helped neuter government attempts to tackle the opioid crisis. | US President Donald Trump says his drug czar nominee has withdrawn, after he reportedly helped neuter government attempts to tackle the opioid crisis.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. |
| Opioid addiction has been described as America's biggest public health crisis since HIV/Aids spread in the 1980s. | Opioid addiction has been described as America's biggest public health crisis since HIV/Aids spread in the 1980s. |
| Experts say the painkillers could kill 500,000 Americans in the next decade. | Experts say the painkillers could kill 500,000 Americans in the next decade. |
| Mr Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning: "Rep Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar. | Mr Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning: "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!" | "Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!" |
| Trump's troublesome nominees | |
| Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter | |
| It's not easy being a Donald Trump political appointee. | |
| Some never make it into office. Labour Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder, for instance, backed out after facing questions about how he managed his fast-food empire and his personal finances. The president has twice tried to name an Army secretary, only to have his picks withdrawn. | |
| Those who do land a job haven't had an easy time of it, either. Tom Price is done as health and human services secretary, the victim of a penchant for pricy air travel. Several other high-level officials - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, environmental boss Scott Pruitt and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke - have been bedevilled by their own ethical concerns. | |
| Now Tom Marino is gone before he ever arrived, thanks to too-cozy ties to a drug industry he might have to regulate. | |
| Mr Trump swept into Washington as an outsider, never fully embraced by A-list political players. He rewarded many loyalists with administration positions who were unused to the glare of the public spotlight. | |
| When the beam focused, some have wilted and others have flat-out melted. | |
| Follow @awzurcher | |
| The nominee's exit came a day after Mr Trump was pressed about allegations surrounding Mr Marino, as detailed in an expose by the Washington Post and CBS News' 60 Minutes programme. | The nominee's exit came a day after Mr Trump was pressed about allegations surrounding Mr Marino, as detailed in an expose by the Washington Post and CBS News' 60 Minutes programme. |
| Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said on Tuesday he "was very concerned" about the 2016 law co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania congressman. | Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said on Tuesday he "was very concerned" about the 2016 law co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania congressman. |
| The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act reportedly neutered federal efforts to stop opioid manufacturers flooding the market with the addictive painkillers. | The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act reportedly neutered federal efforts to stop opioid manufacturers flooding the market with the addictive painkillers. |
| Mr Marino and fellow Republican lawmaker, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, also reportedly helped force out a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official who was taking on the drug firms. | Mr Marino and fellow Republican lawmaker, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, also reportedly helped force out a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official who was taking on the drug firms. |
| Both Mr Marino and Ms Blackburn's home states have been ravaged by deadly overdoses from the opioid epidemic. | Both Mr Marino and Ms Blackburn's home states have been ravaged by deadly overdoses from the opioid epidemic. |
| Mr Rosenstein, whose department oversees the DEA, was asked on Tuesday whether the legislation should be repealed. | Mr Rosenstein, whose department oversees the DEA, was asked on Tuesday whether the legislation should be repealed. |
| "We're going to review it," he said. "I'm not prepared to answer that question right now but we are going to look into those issues." | "We're going to review it," he said. "I'm not prepared to answer that question right now but we are going to look into those issues." |
| 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". | 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". |
| Other Democratic lawmakers were also quick to criticise the now-withdrawn nominee. | |
| Ms Blackburn reportedly received $120,000 (£90,000) in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies. | 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. | She is now facing the political fallout in her campaign for a Senate seat in Tennessee. |
| Mr Trump said on Monday he would formally declare a national opioid emergency next week, as he pledged to do more than two months ago. | Mr Trump 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 | More on the US opioid crisis |