REPORT: NH Dems’ Shutdown is Putting Opioid Abuse Programs at Risk
A scary new report reveals that the government shutdown, that Democrats Stefany Shaheen and Maura Sullivan support, is blocking grant funding for New Hampshire’s critical opioid abuse programs.
New Hampshire had one of the highest opioid addiction rates in the country, and federal grants played a huge role in helping quell the crisis. But now, millions in funding is on hold, and a former senior health official warned that “the entire recovery system is built on consistent funding. When that consistency falters, people fall through the cracks.”
“New Hampshire Democrats shut down the government because they care more about sending taxpayer-funded freebies to illegal immigrants instead of protecting vulnerable Granite Staters. Stefany Shaheen and Maura Sullivan are backing their party’s callous move, and it’s absolutely disgusting.” — NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole
Read the full story here or see excerpts below:
Dem Shutdown Blocks Funding for NH Opioid Abuse Programs
New Hampshire Journal
Michael Graham
October 15, 2025
New Hampshire Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen cast their ninth consecutive vote to keep the federal government shut down on Wednesday. And with that vote, they also blocked federal funding for grants on the front lines of the Granite State’s battle with substance abuse and opioid addiction.
[…]
A decade ago, the Granite State had one of America’s worst opioid addiction rates. In 2015, the state recorded 439 drug deaths, of which 397 were attributed to opiates — among the highest in the country. The issue of drugs and despair became a hot topic in the 2016 presidential race when Donald Trump seized on the subject, connecting it to America’s porous southern border.
Since then, New Hampshire has turned the corner on substance abuse, and federal grants have been a key part of the effort. Beginning in 2014, the state has invested over $830 million in prevention, treatment, and recovery — a combination of federal, state, and local resources. More than $255 million of that funding came from the federal government.
In fact, SAMHSA’s State Opioid Response (SOR) grant program has been central to that effort, providing nearly $30 million to New Hampshire in fiscal year 2025 alone.
But now that the federal government is shut down, those programs are at risk. No grants can be renewed until the federal government reopens. And in the event of a crisis, no additional money can be awarded to help, leaving vulnerable Granite Staters in the lurch.
[…]
“New Hampshire Democrats’ obsession with prioritizing taxpayer handouts for illegal immigrants over their own constituents is dangerous. Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen and carpetbagging Maura Sullivan are standing with their party on this shutdown, and Granite Staters in need are being left behind,” O’Toole said.