GOP congressman Tom Marino announces his resignation

Rep. Tom Marino (R-Penn.), who was elected to a fifth term in November in a heavily Republican district, said Thursday that he is resigning from Congress next week to take a position in the private sector.

The backdrop: Marino was first elected in 2010 after defeating a Democratic incumbent. He was one of the first House Republicans to endorse Donald Trump, and was later nominated by the president to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Marino ultimately removed his name from consideration, however, following reports that he steered a bill through Congress that significantly weakened the government's ability to crack down on the opioid epidemic.