Politics
GOP Congressman ‘Excited’ To Advance Psychedelics Reform With ‘Friendlier’ Trump Administration Officials
A GOP congressman says he’s “excited” to work with the Trump administration to advance psychedelics reform, expressing enthusiasm about federal health officials who appear “friendlier” to the issue compared to those who served under past presidents.
In an interview with Fox News, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) talked about his work to secure funding for studies into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine—including the passage of legislation to require Department of Defense (DOD) clinical trials into such substances for active duty service members that then-President Joe Biden signed into law.
“In this year’s appropriations process, my goal is to at least double that funding,” the congressman said, adding that his state of Texas has also approved legislation to provide tens of millions of dollars in funding to explore the medical potential of psychedelics.
“One of the reasons I wanted to start at the top with the Department of Defense—and make it a little controversial, because we said specifically that you had to let active duty service members be part of those trials should they choose to do so—and when you start at the top, what that has is a trickle down effect and removes that taboo.”
“There’s a lot of people who agree on this. This is bipartisan, and I couldn’t be prouder of the results so far,” Crenshaw said. “Still, there’s a lot of work to do, and I’m excited to work with with [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] and then the people that he’s appointed who I think are friendlier to [the issue].”
He added that it’s “not that the last administration was unfriendly,” but the current composition of the Trump administration is “definitely friendly to this idea, and these breakthrough therapies that have that have saved lives.”
The congressman also referenced legislation that state lawmakers in Texas recently sent to the governor to create a state-backed research consortium to conduct clinical trials on ibogaine as a possible treatment for substance use disorders and other mental health conditions, with the goal of developing a drug that would win U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
In a social media post promoting the Fox interview, Crenshaw said that “this mission has always been personal. I’ve lost brothers to the invisible wounds, and I’ve watched others recover when nothing else worked.”
“That’s why I passed a law authorizing DoD trials on psychedelic therapies like psilocybin and ibogaine,” he said. “These promising treatments can save lives—and with @SecKennedy’s openness and strong bipartisan support, we’re closer than ever to ensuring we fully research the potential clinical benefits of breakthrough therapies.”
Late last year, Crenshaw separately urged FDA to finalize guidance on conducting clinical trials into psychedelics to facilitate research, including investigations focusing on the potential benefits of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin for military veterans.
Meanwhile, another Republican congressman—Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) of the Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—recently expressed optimism about the prospects of advancing psychedelics reform under President Donald Trump, arguing that the administration’s efforts to cut spending and the federal workforce will give agencies “spines” to tackle such complex issues.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), who is a retired Navy SEAL, separately shared more details about his own “life-saving” experience with psychedelic therapy to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—explaining how ibogaine allowed him to not only see cosmic colors and shapes and mathematic formulas “raining down” on him but also helped resolve long-held challenges in his interpersonal relationships.
What happens next at the congressional level remains uncertain, but Bergman and fellow PATH Caucus co-chair Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) introduced a bill in April to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelics-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. Luttrell is an original cosponsor.
Within the Trump administration, top officials are also touting the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, including the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who said in an interview over the weekend that exploring psychedelic medicine is a “top priority,” especially when it comes to helping military veterans grapple with trauma from being sent to fight “unnecessary wars.”
The commissioner’s remarks has come in the context of a seemingly meaningful shift on psychedelics policy within this administration—with the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and HHS that oversees FDA also having expressed support for exploring the issue. Trump’s recent pick for U.S. surgeon general has previously described her personal experience benefitting from psilocybin.
Last month, VA Secretary Doug Collins touted the fact that he’s “one of the first” secretaries of the agency with a commitment to exploring psychedelics as a potential therapy option for veterans.
Collins also recently met with a military veteran who’s become an advocate for psilocybin access to discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine for the veteran community.
Last month, the secretary separately informed Trump during a Cabinet meeting that his agency is “opening up the possibility of psychedelic treatment” for veterans.
Also, during a Senate committee hearing last month, he separately reiterated his commitment to exploring the efficacy of psychedelic therapy to address serious mental health conditions that commonly afflict veterans.
Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have also asked the VA head to meet with them to discuss ways to provide access to psychedelic medicine for military veterans.
Collins disclosed last month that he had an “eye-opening” talk with the HHS secretary about the medical potential of psychedelic medicine. And Collins said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access.
In December, VA separately announced that it’s providing $1.5 million in funding to study the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
