I advocate for a comprehensive approach, tackling illegal drugs at the border, increasing funding for rehabilitation, and holding those accountable for creating this crisis.
Increase funding for rehabilitation and hold accountable those responsible for the opioid crisis as part of a comprehensive response.
Occurrences
Evidence
#### Opioid Crisis The opioid crisis has devastated our nation, hitting close to home in Northeast Tennessee. I advocate for a comprehensive approach, tackling illegal drugs at the border, increasing funding for rehabilitation, and holding those accountable for creating this crisis. Together, we can combat this epidemic and ensure a safer, healthier future for our communities.
TITLE II—TREATMENT ... Sec. 204. Loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment workforce. ... Section 781(j) ... is amended by striking “$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023” and inserting “$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.” ... TITLE III—RECOVERY ... Sec. 303. Comprehensive opioid recovery centers.
Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1]* 01/03/2025
Today, surrounded by families who have lost loved ones to the scourge of fentanyl, President Donald J. Trump officially signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law — permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
The enacted law reauthorizes opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and raises the substance use disorder treatment workforce loan-repayment authorization to $40 million for FY2026-FY2030.
The White House said the President signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I.
Assessments
The promise had two main parts: increasing rehabilitation funding and holding actors in the opioid crisis accountable. During Harshbarger's current House service, Congress enacted opioid treatment and recovery reauthorizations that increased authorized rehabilitation-related funding, and the HALT Fentanyl Act became law. However, the evidence only clearly ties Harshbarger personally to the accountability side: she was an original cosponsor of the House HALT Fentanyl Act. The record provided does not show that she wrote, sponsored, or materially advanced the enacted rehabilitation-funding law. Because both policy outcomes moved in the promised direction during the same term but only one component is clearly attributable to her own legislative action, this is best scored as partial rather than full delivery.
The promise had two main components: increasing rehabilitation-related funding and strengthening accountability for those responsible for the opioid crisis. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 enacted treatment and recovery reauthorizations, including increased authorization for the substance use disorder treatment workforce, satisfying the rehabilitation funding component. The HALT Fentanyl Act became law in July 2025 and Harshbarger was an original cosponsor, supporting the accountability component through stricter treatment of fentanyl-related substances. Both outcomes occurred during the same congressional term.