No Resistance?
The DEA was forced to accept the bill. They faced constant pressure from Congress to agree with the bill.
An OMB official said “neither the DEA nor the Justice Department informed OMB about the policy change in the bill.”
An official who requested anonymity gave a comment about the law. The official said “they would have passed this with us or without us. Our point was that this law was completely unnecessary.”
Matt Whitlock said the DEA eventually didn’t oppose the bill.
He wrote via email that “we worked collaboratively with DEA and DOJ . . . and they contributed significantly to the language of the bill. DEA had plenty of opportunities to stop the bill and they did not do so.”
John Parker said “to be clear; this law does not ‘decrease’ DEA’s enforcement against distributors.”
He said “it supports real-time communication between all parties in order to counter the constantly evolving methods of drug diversion.” Parker represents Healthcare Distribution Alliance.
Judge John J. Mulrooney II disagrees and thinks it will be the opposite.
He said “at a time when, by all accounts, opioid abuse, addiction and deaths were increasing markedly. The new law imposed a dramatic diminution of the agency’s authority.”
Mulrooney is the DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge.
The belief that this law will be a stumbling block to take drugs off the street is real.
