The organization believes that the proposed cuts will be harmful to Americans suffering from mental illnesses.
A key talking point for the current administration is funding for Medicare and Medicaid. Both programs are popular across party lines, but certain Republican lawmakers have suggested cuts to them to fund other aspects of the President’s agenda.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) issued a statement criticizing proposed cuts to Medicaid.1 According to the alliance, these cuts would cause harm both to people suffering from mental illness and the nation’s mental health infrastructure.
In a press release, NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. said, “Medicaid is a lifeline to tens of millions of Americans who rely on this coverage to access mental health services. When people lose access to health care coverage, lives are at risk. We've come too far and made too much progress in addressing mental health care in this country to throw that progress away. NAMI is deeply opposed to the proposed cuts and changes to Medicaid, and we urge members of Congress to reject this proposal."
He continued, “Unfortunately, nothing in these proposals would help address the mental health crisis facing our country. But we know that access to Medicaid––and health care coverage in general––allows people to get well and go back to work or school, to take care of their families, and to engage in the community in a meaningful way. These proposals are alarming and will hurt too many Americans. Congress must swiftly reject these changes and keep Americans connected to the mental health care they need and deserve."
NAMI has been critical of other proposed cuts to the nation’s healthcare funding. In early May, the organization issued a statement in response to proposed cuts to discretionary funding levels for Fiscal Year 2026 by President Trump. While the proposal has yet to be approved, NAMI stated that the proposed funding cuts to the NIH ($18 billion) would harm Americans.
The organization also criticized the proposed $1.1 billion in cuts to programs under SAMHSA.2
In a press release issued at the time, NAMI’s chief advocacy officer Hannah Wesolowski said, “Mental health care is one of the few issues where there is strong and deep bipartisan support––largely because no family is untouched by our nation's mental health, overdose, and suicide crises. Cuts of this magnitude would certainly disrupt critical research and programs that help people with mental illness get well and stay well, resulting in more people's symptoms getting worse and putting people out of work, on the streets, and in jails and emergency rooms."
Wesolowski continued, “We strongly urge Congress to preserve funding for mental health research, life-saving programs, and criminal justice diversion efforts, with a focus on any programs targeted for elimination. This proposal isn't just a list of numbers on a page. These cuts will directly hurt people with mental illness and their families."
While the budget proposal provides a guideline of the administration’s goals, the actual budget and all appropriations must be approved by Congress. The final decision for Fiscal Year 2026’s budget will be made during a session beginning on October 1, 2025.
