Trump’s drug czar nominee withdraws

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the nation’s drug czar has withdrawn from consideration following reports that he pushed a bill that weakened the federal government’s authority to stop companies from distributing opioids. “Rep. Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!” Reports by The Washington Post and CBS News detailed the Pennsylvania Republican’s involvement in crafting the 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that makes it harder for the Drug Enforcement Administration to stop suspicious shipments of opioids that could reach the black market. The Post reported Sunday that the drug industry worked behind the scenes with lobbyists and key members of Congress, including Marino, pouring more than a million dollars into their election campaigns.