DEA Official Reportedly Accused Lawmakers Of ‘Supporting Criminals’ For Backing This Bill
From the article:
A top Drug Enforcement Administration official reportedly accused sponsors of a prescription drug bill that unanimously passed the House of Representatives of “supporting criminals,” since the legislation would give pill distributors and pharmacists who are found to have violated regulations an opportunity to take corrective action before their registration was revoked or suspended.
Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) said Thursday that Joseph Rannazzisi, who heads DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, had accused sponsors of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2013 of “supporting criminals.” Rannazzisi reportedly made the comments in late July, during a conference call with staffers from the Energy and Commerce Committee and Judiciary Committee before the legislation passed.
“It is my understanding that Joe Rannazzisi, a senior DEA official, has publicly accused we sponsors of the bill of ‘supporting criminals.’ This offends me immensely,” Marino said Thursday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing with DEA chief Michele Leonhart. “Such conduct is not acceptable and is unbecoming of the DEA, an agency that I have the utmost respect for.”
Imagine that… the word DEA and respect in the same sentence !
Filed under: General Problems
IF the DEA were to work w/ the ‘industry’ they might have pressure from Congress or their REAL employers…….you know US CITIZENS to set some guidelines to work by. Not to mention FUNDING (Job security). They almost fell into that trap a few years ago when working w/ doctors to set guidelines on treating chronic pain. Look up that fiasco and it says alot about the agency. Transparency, even a glimmer of light, that penetrates their blanket of AMBIGUITY is a death sentence for them and they know this. They aren’t giving up their advantages w/out a fight. How can they intimidate and brow-beat corporations, doctors, and patients when the rules are laid out for all to see? They cannot operate w/ anywhere near the intimidation and coercion unless they are allowed to operate w/ ambiguity.
The plain fact of the matter is this, the DEA is SCARED. They are so close to being irrelevant it isn’t even funny. Their main cash cow (marijuana) is disappearing soon to vanish. In this day and age of open information and video surveillance their propaganda is being discredited at every turn. If (hopefully when) they lose THIS WAR (on PAIN) they are DONE.
Yo, fat lady, clear those pipes your’re up next.
Everyone must know Pharmacist Steve does not get paid a penny for the stories he brings us and all he does for those that suffer from chronic pain. Steve does these blogs because its the correct thing to do and he has a loved one that suffers from chronic pain. This all takes a great deal of planning and his time.
I applaud Pharmacist Steve for his hard work and the good blogs he brings us that we would otherwise know nothing about.
how dare you say what you said… Dr. There are over 100 some on thousand patients in the mirror around the clock pain. That requires scheduled to narcotics to maintain life and actually live. And its people like you on my world is in a shape its in. Its people like you that CVS and other pharmacies turn patience down that require narcotics. doctors will continue to prescribe them on a daily basis and there’s nothing you or anybody else is ever going to do about it. You are the one laughing all the way to the bank running the Phoenix House treating people for addiction.
Thank you Pharmaciststeve! Much love!
Congress defines DEA’s mission. DEA’s job is to obey it’s orders. If it wants a different mission than Congress gave it, it’s employees are free to resign and work in the private sector.
To tell their superiors (Congress) that they won’t obey their orders, is what in the military is called Desertion, and in wartime it can carry a capital penalty.
They should think twice about calling this a Drug War, because being at peace has its advantages. Chief among which, is the right to take disputes to a law court and to settle them by reason and logic…not by the accident of surviving battle.
Thank you Bob Schubring for your above comment! My sentiments exactly! Love your candor and your poop or get off the potty attitude! My hat and heart are off to you as ALWAYS, my friend! ♡♡♡
We need a congress with backbone to get elected in midterms who will.start defending the DEA and take away their abusive powers!