Chicago, IL — La Shawn K. Ford, Candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to terminate federal addiction and mental health grants nationwide:

“The Trump administration’s decision to terminate federal addiction and mental health grants is reckless and dangerous, especially for communities already facing an overdose and mental health crisis.

In Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, we know the stakes. I have spent years working alongside public health leaders, harm reduction teams, and community organizations to expand access to treatment, distribute naloxone, support drug checking, and reduce overdose deaths. These efforts save lives. They are measurable, proven, and ongoing.

The data is clear. Chicago has made real progress by investing in harm reduction, outreach, and treatment. Terminating these grants threatens that progress and puts lives at risk, particularly among people experiencing homelessness, people with untreated mental illness, and communities already facing health inequities.

Addiction and mental health are public health issues, not political talking points. Cutting off funding without a responsible transition plan undermines local systems of care, strains emergency services, and increases the risk of preventable deaths.

As a Member of Congress, I will fight to restore these funds, protect evidence-based addiction treatment, and ensure that federal policy supports, not sabotages, local public health work. We should be expanding access to care, not pulling the rug out from under communities doing the hard work on the ground.

Lives depend on it.”

La Shawn K. Ford has been a leading advocate for addiction prevention, harm reduction, and mental health access in Illinois, including efforts to expand overdose prevention strategies and community-based treatment models that have helped reduce overdose deaths across Chicago.

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