Elon Musk and President Trump Slash Funding for State Health Departments—Make It More Difficult for Americans to Access Substance Abuse Treatment, Mental Health Care

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement on Elon Musk and President Trump slashing $11 billion in lifesaving resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

“We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, and Elon Musk and President Trump are making it worse. President Trump promised to fight for the working class—to make Americans healthier and safer and lower the cost of health care—but instead, he put Elon Musk and billionaires in charge of the government. With these unelected billionaires leading the way, President Trump is stealing funds promised to Americans for substance abuse treatment and mental health services. By slashing the resources, States will be forced to cut funding for substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling for the vulnerable, and terminate existing contracts for outpatient and residential services. Congress provided these funds through September 30, 2025, and States are relying on these funds being available for that period.

“To make matters worse, Elon Musk and President Trump are guaranteeing that States are unprepared for future disease outbreaks. The impacts of slashing billions of dollars in critical resources will be felt across the country with State health departments forced to fire health professionals whose job is to keep Americans safe. States that have already included these funds in their 2025 and 2026 budgets—some of which have already adjourned for the year—will be forced to fire public health personnel, including nurses, epidemiologists, and laboratory technicians who are on the front lines of preventing and responding to public health threats. 

“With this move, the Trump Administration continues to prove that they do not care about the law. Many of these cuts are illegal because funds are owed to health care providers for services that have already been provided, but not yet reimbursed. This means the health care provider is legally entitled to payment.

“The Trump Administration should be increasing mental health services and working to prevent future disease outbreaks not making Americans less healthy and less safe.”

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