Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) cheered the reinstatement of nearly $2 billion in grants to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), including seven Health Care Authority-administered grants in Washington state. The reinstatement of this funding, which spanned thousands of grants across the nation addressing issues from youth overdose prevention to prenatal and postpartum care for women, comes just one day after grantees received letters from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) abruptly cancelling this funding.
“The Trump administration’s reckless decision to cancel almost $2 billion in funding to fight the opioid epidemic shows they do not care about helping families and communities recover from addiction,” said Rep. Larsen. “I worked with Democrats and Republicans to demand this funding be reinstated and I am glad the Administration caved quickly. I will keep supporting local efforts to end the opioid epidemic and keep holding the Trump administration accountable for the harm they cause.”
Larsen is Focused on Combating Opioid Crisis in Northwest Washington
Rep. Larsen is focused on supporting local efforts to combat the opioid crisis and save lives. In 2024, he published a districtwide opioid report that outlines a four-pillar framework to combat the crisis. Larsen has introduced four pieces of legislation to fight fentanyl in Northwest Washington:
- The PROTECT Act, which gives Tribal courts and law enforcement more tools and resources to combat the opioid epidemic.
- The Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act, which creates employment opportunities for people in recovery and supports communities impacted by widespread opioid use.
- The End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act, which establishes a dedicated federal funding stream to help multi-jurisdictional drug task forces combat opioid trafficking in Washington state and across the country.
- The Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act, which expands access to lifesaving, community-based harm reduction initiatives and services and enhances the federal response to the opioid and fentanyl epidemic.
Bipartisan Lawmakers Demand Reinstatement of Funding
Following the SAMHSA grant cancellations yesterday, Larsen joined a bipartisan letter with 100 House colleagues to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding that funding be restored immediately.
Members who signed on to the bipartisan letter are as follows: Tonko, Paul; Dean, Madeleine; Beyer, Donald; Salinas, Andrea; Fitzpatrick, Brian; Trahan, Lori; Pettersen, Brittany; Matsui, Doris; Moulton, Seth; Amo, Gabe; Carter, Troy; Balint, Becca; Schrier, Kim, Auchincloss, Jake; Bell, Wesley; Bishop, Sanford; Bonamici, Suzanne; Bresnahan, Robert; Brown, Shontel; Budzinski, Nikki; Carbajal, Salud; Casten, Sean; Castro, Joaquin; Chu, Judy; Cohen, Steve; Davis, Danny; DelBene, Suzan; Deluzio, Christopher; Dexter, Maxine; Dingell, Debbie; Doggett, Lloyd; Elfreth, Sarah; Escobar, Veronica; Espaillat, Adriano; Fields, Cleo; Figures, Shomari; Fletcher, Lizzie; García, Jesús; Gillen, Laura; Goldman, Daniel; Grijalva, Adelita; Harder, Josh; Hernández, Pablo; Horsford, Steven; Hoyle, Val; Ivey, Glenn; Jacobs, Sara; Jayapal, Pramila; Kamlager-Dove, Sydney; Kelly, Robin; Kennedy, Timothy; Khanna, Ro; Krishnamoorthi, Raja; Landsman, Greg; Larson, John; Lee, Summer; Lee, Susie; Leger Fernandez, Teresa; Lynch, Stephen; McClellan, Jennifer; McDonald Rivet, Kristen; McGovern, James; McIver, LaMonica; Meeks, Gregory; Meng, Grace; Morrison, Kelly; Moylan, James; Norcross, Donald; Omar, Ilhan; Panetta, Jimmy; Pappas, Chris; Pelosi, Nancy; Pocan, Mark; Pou, Nellie; Pressley, Ayanna; Quigley, Mike; Ramirez, Delia; Randall, Emily; Riley, Josh; Rivas, Luz; Scanlon, Mary Gay; Schakowsky, Janice; Schneider, Bradley; Simon, Lateefah; Smith, Adam; Stansbury, Melanie; Stanton, Greg; Strickland, Marilyn; Suozzi, Thomas; Swalwell, Eric; Takano, Mark; Thompson, Mike; Tlaib, Rashida; Tokuda, Jill; Vasquez, Gabe; Walkinshaw, James; Watson Coleman, Bonnie; Whitesides, George; Williams, Nikema.
The lawmakers’ full letter to HHS is available HERE and below:
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
We are extremely concerned by reports of the sudden termination of what appears to be the vast majority of the discretionary grants at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Addressing mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery is a bipartisan priority. The work of SAMHSA is not a partisan priority. It should be a priority for every American, every member of Congress and every Administration. Every state relies on SAMHSA funding to respond to these pressing mental health and addiction challenges. In Congress we have worked to prioritize the focus on mental health and substance use disorder, to reduce stigma and to expand access to prevention, recovery and treatment.
Reports indicate that 2,800 grant termination notices have been distributed across the nation for critical programs that support mental health and addiction resources effective January 13, 2026. We strongly urge you to rescind all of the terminations immediately. Too many people across the country are suffering without necessary resources. We must ensure that SAMHSA programs serve their congressionally intended purpose of getting lifesaving resources to our communities.
Given the urgency, we ask that you provide the following information by January 16, 2026.
1. How many grants were terminated at SAMHSA and what programs were included?
2. What was the rationale for each termination? Please explain how each program "no longer effectuates agency priorities."
3. The President recently signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized many of these programs for 5 years. Of the grants that were cancelled, please provide a justification as to why these grants do not align with the direction given under the SUPPORT Act?
Sincerely,
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