H.H.S. Reverses Decision to Cut $2 Billion for Mental Health and Addiction Services
The Trump administration abruptly terminated nearly $2 billion in funding for over 2,000 addiction and mental health programs nationwide, only to reverse the decision less than 24 hours later following intense bipartisan pushback, including a letter signed by 100 House members. The cuts, issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration via a form letter, would have immediately eliminated funding for drug courts, overdose prevention programs, mental health training for school staff, recovery support for pregnant women, and crisis intervention services — at a time when overdose deaths, while declining from a 2023 peak of 111,000, still claim roughly 72,000 lives annually. Program administrators said the cuts blindsided them, particularly since Trump had signed legislation in December reauthorizing many of these same programs. While the funding was ultimately restored, critics including Democratic lawmakers argued the episode created damaging uncertainty, violated congressional spending authority, and revealed the administration's disregard for bipartisan mental health and addiction policy.