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House Energy & Commerce debates reauthorization of SUPPORT Act amid fights over SAMHSA cuts and oversight
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Summary
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 20 marked up HR 24 83, the SUPPORT Act reauthorization, in a session dominated by disputes over recent firings and grant rescissions at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 20 marked up HR 24 83, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize federal programs focused on prevention, treatment and recovery for people with substance use disorder.
The meeting repeatedly returned to actions by the Department of Health and Human Services that Democrats say undercut the bill’s purpose: extensive firings at SAMHSA and a decision to terminate previously obligated grants. Representative Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the committee, said he could not support reauthorization while the agency was being dismantled. “I can't support the reauthorization of the Support Act because I have no confidence that my Republican colleagues will actually stand up… to prevent him from taking additional illegal actions that undermine the Support Act,” Pallone said.
Representative Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) offered an amendment aimed at restoring the states’ ability to access COVID-era grants that Democrats said were being clawed back. Tonko described the cuts as immediate and consequential: “50 percent of staff at SAMHSA were just fired. A billion dollars of life saving funding was just yanked away from states,” he said. The committee rejected Tonko’s amendment in a recorded vote (amendment not agreed to).
Republicans said they supported reauthorization and emphasized bipartisan elements of the bill. Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) framed the measure as technical, targeted reauthorizations of programs that help states and providers deliver prevention, treatment and recovery services. Representative Larry Bucshon and other Republican members emphasized provisions that would continue funding for 9‑8‑8 lifeline support, first‑responder training, and workforce development.
Several Democrats repeatedly urged the committee to use the markup to press the administration for oversight, hearings and to reverse the HHS actions. Representative Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and other Democrats sought commitments for oversight of HHS leadership and the administration’s decisions on grant terminations and organizational restructuring; Republicans responded that they planned to conduct oversight and expected secretarial testimony in appropriations and budget settings.
The committee debated additional Democratic amendments that would have restricted implementation of steps the administration is taking to reorganize HHS or would have required protections for specific FDA or CDC activities. Those amendments were defeated on party-line or near party-line votes during the lengthy markup.
Why it matters: The SUPPORT Act reauthorization creates the statutory authorization that governs many federal prevention and recovery programs used by states and community providers. The central dispute at the markup was whether reauthorization should proceed while the same agency charged with implementing many of these programs faces staff layoffs and grant rescissions. Democrats argued the reauthorization would be hollow without restoration of staff and funds; Republicans argued delay would deny timely resources to communities battling overdoses.
Discussion points and next steps: Committee members said they will continue oversight of HHS and SAMHSA and that additional hearings or requests for testimony will be pursued. The committee record shows multiple failed Democratic amendments aimed at restoring funding or halting the administrative changes; the underlying reauthorization remained the primary focus of the markup.
