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].”

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. Stanford’s study on ibogaine…
pic.twitter.com/BY8drnXqLt

— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) June 5, 2025

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).

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