End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller released the following statement on Rep. Tom Marino’s withdrawal from consideration as drug czar in the wake of his connections with the drug lobby. A recent Washington Post/60 Minutes investigation into the drug industry’s efforts to lobby Congress and undermine the DEA’s ability to fight back against opioid abuse centered around a bill Marino authored and pushed through Congress while taking nearly $100,000 from the drug lobby.
“Tom Marino’s withdrawal is just the tip of the iceberg in a rigged system where politicians are bought and paid for by the special interests at the expense of the American people. In this case, Marino pushed through a bill that helped fuel the opioid epidemic and put American lives at risk. Earlier this month, we saw the gun lobby squash any talk among Republicans for common sense gun reform following the largest mass shooting in modern American history.
“From climate change to tax reform to the Republicans’ desperate attempt to take health care away from Americans, the system is rigged against everyday families by politicians intent on pleasing their mega-donors. It’s time for real accountability and meaningful reform that returns the power in our democracy to the people. In 2018, we will make voters aware of the role these Washington politicians play lifting up special interests while dragging down voters’ interests.”
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