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Marino Withdraws Name From Drug Czar Consideration

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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) - President Donald Trump's pick to be the nation's drug czar has withdrawn his name from consideration.

The Pennsylvania Republican withdrew his name following reports by The Washington Post and CBS' "60 Minutes" that he played a key role in weakening the federal government's authority to stop companies from distributing opioids.

"He told me, look, if there's even a perception he has a conflict of interest, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it," President Trump said during an interview with Fox News radio.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said confirming Marino as the nation's drug czar would be like "putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse."

"The American people deserve someone totally committed to fighting the opioid crisis, not someone who has labored on behalf of the drug industry," Schumer said.

Sen. Joe Manchin, whose home state of West Virginia has been among the hardest-hit by the opioid epidemic, said he was horrified at the accounts of the 2016 law and Marino's role in it.

The Post reported Sunday that Marino and other members of Congress, along with the nation's major drug distributors, prevailed upon the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department to agree to an industry-friendly law that undermined efforts to restrict the flow of pain pills that have led to tens of thousands of deaths.

The industry worked behind the scenes with lobbyists and key members of Congress, including Marino, pouring more than a million dollars into their election campaigns, the newspaper reported.

The bill passed unanimously and was signed by President Barack Obama.

"When DEA signs off and the DOJ signs off and Democrats and Republicans sign off together, it's not unusual for something like this to roll through without much fanfare," said Senator Claire McCaskill.

McCaskill, D-MO, has introduced legislation to repeal the law.

President Trump has said that he's committed to fighting the opioid epidemic and plans to declare a national emergency next week.

As part of the war on opioids, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday morning the indictments of two Chinese nationals who allegedly used the internet to sell fentanyl to drug traffickers and individuals in the U.S.

More than 64,000 Americans died in 2016 from drug overdoses, most from opioids.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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