AP
Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania
The withdrawal came a day after a joint investigation from The Washington Post and CBS' "60 Minutes" concluded that members of Congress - including Marino - alongside the pharmaceutical industry may have helped fuel the opioid crisis.
On Monday, Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, sent President Donald Trump a letter asking him to withdraw his nomination for the top drug policy position. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also joined the chorus of voices calling on Trump to reconsider.
Trump said in a tweet Tuesday morning that Marino had withdrawn his name from consideration.
"Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!" Trump said.
Trump nominated Marino, a Republican, to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position that is commonly referred to as the nation's "drug czar."
The "60 Mintutes"-Washington Post investigation detailed how Marino introduced a bill in 2014 that made it harder for the Drug Enforcement Administration to enforce laws that would keep opioids from being diverted to people who might abuse them. A version of the bill became law in 2016.
The Post called it "the crowning achievement of a multifaceted campaign by the drug industry to weaken aggressive DEA enforcement efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacists who peddled narcotics to the black market."
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!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2017