Today Congress released their version of the 2026 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes SAMHSA. It was approved in the House Appropriations Committee on a bi-partisan basis, meaning that chances of passage in the House are very high.

As we reported yesterday, the Administration had arbitrarily cut nearly two billion dollars from mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs that had been approved on a bi-partisan basis by Congress.

Yesterday the Administration without warning, unilaterally cut nearly two billion dollars in grants to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health organizations administered through SAMHSA.

After a lengthy journey, the latest version of the Support Act finally became law this week.  NAATP supported its passage and has been asking Congress to pass it for months.

NAATP is proud to join our national partners in urging Congress to maintain 30 million dollars in funding for HUD’s Recovery Housing Program (RHP).

Late last night Congress ended the longest federal government shutdown in history. A short-term budget extension was agreed to by just enough votes to pass in the Senate with the House of Representatives following. The final agreement included passage of three of the twelve appropriations bills and a promise in the Senate to vote on continuation of the Affordable Care Act subsidies.

After many months of advocacy and support from substance use disorder and mental health organizations, the United States Senate passed the Support Act by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. NAATP has encouraged passage for months. The legislation, which had previously passed the House of Representatives, now goes to the President.

The U.S. Senate just passed by the narrowest margin possible, the reconciliation bill which only needs a majority vote in the Senate. The legislation includes an extension of the President’s tax cuts and must then be offset by reductions in other spending programs. Since changes were made in the Senate to the previously passed House bill, the House of Representatives must reconsider it.

Senate Republicans unveiled their version of the reconciliation bill which includes President Trump’s tax cut extensions. To offset the cost of those extensions it also includes reductions in numerous federal programs and proposes deep cuts to Medicaid.

Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Support Act (H.R. 2483). The House passed basically the same bill last Congress; however, it did not survive in the last-minute rush to adjournment at the end of the year. The bill passed by a vote of 366 to 57.

Following a twenty six hour and sometimes emotional hearing, the US House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce Committee passed language that will be included in the Budget Reconciliation Bill. It will be considered by the entire House of Representatives and possibly the US Senate in coming weeks.

Today the Energy and Commerce Committee in the US House of Representatives passed the revised Support Act. It will now be scheduled for a vote by the entire House before it moves to the Senate for consideration. 

NAATP has joined over 80 national organizations to oppose proposed funding and staffing cuts at SAMHSA and restructuring within HHS. These changes threaten access to vital behavioral health and addiction treatment services and would further strain our nation’s workforce and community-based programs.

Congress recently passed a blueprint for upcoming changes in the federal government budget. The next step will be for the House of Representatives and the Senate to draft legislation that meets the target spending limits that were included in the blueprint. The process to make these changes is called reconciliation.

Today HHS Secretary, Robert Kennedy announced a major change impacting the substance use disorder and mental health fields. A new agency called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) will be created and will subsume multiple agencies including SAMHSA.

With each new Administration and Congress, we are faced with different obstacles as well as opportunities. As new faces fill critical leadership roles, we have an obligation to try to help them understand the life-saving role our members play for millions of Americans each year.