Trump might withdraw drug czar nominee

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday raised the possibility of withdrawing his nomination of Republican Rep. Tom Marino to be the nation’s drug czar following reports that the lawmaker played a key role in passing a bill weakening federal authority to stop companies from distributing opioids.

Trump told reporters at a news conference that he will look at reports by The Washington Post and CBS News “very closely,” adding: “If I think it’s 1 percent negative to doing what we want to do, I will make a change.”

The Post and CBS’ “60 Minutes” reported Sunday on the 2016 law, which weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to stop companies from distributing opioids. Marino, in his fourth term representing northeastern Pennsylvania, played a key role in the law.

Trump called Marino “a good man,” but said, “We’re going to be looking into Tom.”

Democrats called on Trump to withdraw Marino’s nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said confirming Marino as the nation’s drug czar was like “putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse,” adding: “The American people deserve someone totally committed to fighting the opioid crisis … .”

Sen. Joe Manchin, whose home state of West Virginia has been among the hardest-hit by the opioid epidemic, said he was horrified at accounts of the 2016 law and Marino’s role in it. In a letter to Trump, Manchin called the opioid crisis “the biggest public health crisis since HIV/ AIDS.” and said, “we need someone leading the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy who believes we must protect our people, not the pharmaceutical industry.”