Rep. Tom Marino is expected to be the new leader of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and carry the unofficial title of drug czar, according to CBS News.
Marino (R-Pa.) would step down from his Congress seat. He is in the last stages of finishing paperwork, a source told CBS News.
"My understanding is that Tom has a deep understanding of the issue and is excited to get started," said Kevin Sabet, a three-time adviser for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The Pennsylvania Republican served on the bipartisan committee to fight the opioid epidemic after introducing two bills that focused on drug control.
One of his bills, the Transnational Drug Trafficking Act, acted to reduce movement of drugs across borders.
Another bill he authored, the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, raised Drug Enforcement Agency standards to stop distributing prescription drugs in the case of a perceived threat to the general public, according to The Washington Post.
The role requires Marino to be confirmed by the Senate. If he is successfully confirmed, he would be the fifth Republican in Congress to join President Donald Trump's administration, the Post reported.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.