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The House voted to reauthorize the SUPPORT Act, the 2018 law that funds programs to address the opioid crisis.
Reminder: The law authorized $20 billion in treatment, prevention, and recovery funding. While the SUPPORT Act expired nearly two years ago, Congress has continued to fund its programs.
In 2018: The law passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis in 2018 and was signed into law by President Trump during his first term.
In 2024: Congress tried to reauthorize the SUPPORT Act as part of a bipartisan, bicameral health care package that lawmakers planned to add to government funding legislation last December. But, it was left out after an argument that the spending package should not include extraneous provisions.
Now: Some Democrats opposed the bill this time around because of the administration’s broader funding cuts for mental health and addiction programs, its plan to eliminate SAMHSA, and proposed changes to Medicaid, which will undermine addiction treatment access.
- The argument: In a letter to colleagues, Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Rep. Pallone wrote, “Congressional Republicans are trying to have it both ways – reauthorizing the SUPPORT Act while silently standing by as the Trump Administration dismantles … SAMHSA.” He noted that the administration is preparing to eliminate 40 mental health/substance use disorder programs, including 8 authorized in the SUPPORT Act.
Next steps: The bill now heads to the Senate.
Our thoughts: The SUPPORT Act provides critical funding for treatment and recovery programs that should continue. But the impact of those programs pales in comparison to the impact of eliminating SAMHSA programs and proposed changes to Medicaid that will make it harder for people to access addiction care.
Read more: House passes major legislation to fight opioid crisis; Looking for Support; DOGE cuts dampen Democratic support for opioid abuse legislation
Published
June 2025