WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released a joint statement today urging the Senate to act to extend the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration program before adjourning for the August Recess:
“It is critically important that the Senate act to extend the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic demonstration program before adjourning for the August Recess. The health centers that receive funding through this vital program are on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic, and failure to extend the program threatens access to treatment for thousands of people with substance use disorder and mental health conditions.
“Last month, with overwhelming bipartisan support, the House passed an extension of the demonstration program that would provide long-term certainty for patients. If the Senate fails to act before adjourning for a five-week recess, the prolonged funding lapse will threaten access to treatment for vulnerable patients. Failure to act to protect this program should not be an option for the Senate."
In June, the House passed H.R. 3253, which included an extension of the CCBHC demonstration program through Dec. 31, 2021, by a vote of 371 - 46. After the Senate failed to act on a long-term extension of the demonstration program, both chambers passed a short-term extension that expired last week.
