AUDIO – GOD SHOT ANYONE? –
April 7, 2026 – Kennedy said. “Many addicts are just biologically hardwired to drink or drug themselves to death. The only thing that has been shown to overcome that is a spiritual fire.” Kennedy drew a line between faith and formal religion.
“That doesn’t mean religion,” he said, “but it means they have to have some kind of profound spiritual realignment in order to have longterm sobriety.”
The faith-based push is one piece of a broader initiative Kennedy announced Feb. 2 to overhaul federal addiction and homelessness policy.
Kennedy said the current system is badly fragmented, with law enforcement, detox centers, rehab facilities, housing providers and the Department of Labor all touching a single person’s recovery but no one tracking outcomes.
“Nobody is responsible for that addict,” he said. “The bureaucracies just check the box.”
Kennedy wants to change how rehabs are paid, shifting from a fee-for-service model to one that holds facilities accountable for outcomes.
