Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), joined by Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), led a bipartisan effort demanding that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services immediately restart specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, using funding Congress has already appropriated and directed for that purpose.
In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Members wrote that the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill “directs HHS to support the 988 Lifeline’s Press 3 specialized services at a congressionally directed funding level of $33.1 million,” reflecting “bipartisan, Congressional recognition that tailored crisis support for populations at higher risk of suicide, including LGBTQ+ youth, is not optional; it is essential.”
The Members emphasized that “inhibiting Press 3 services undermines that commitment, Congressional intent, and best practices for suicide prevention,” noting that HHS has long found LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionately high rates of mental health distress and suicidality. Since its launch, the LGBTQ+ youth 988 service has supported nearly 1.6 million calls, texts, and chats, recently averaging approximately 2,100 contacts per day, underscoring the urgent need for specialized crisis intervention.
The letter also reaffirms Congress’s intent in creating the Lifeline, writing that “when Congress established the 988 Lifeline, signed into law during President Trump’s first term, it was intended to be a resource for any American experiencing mental distress,” with specialized services for high-risk populations “a core part of fulfilling that mission.” Allowing those services to remain discontinued, the Members warned, “poses serious risks and does not align with your department’s commitment to improving health outcomes nationwide.”
The bipartisan letter concludes by calling on HHS to “honor Congressional direction, uphold the department’s stated commitment to suicide prevention, and immediately restart the LGBTQ+ youth specialized services within the 988 Lifeline by the end of this month.”
This effort builds on Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s longstanding work to protect and strengthen the 988 Lifeline, including his leadership opposing proposed cuts to 988 services and his introduction of bipartisan legislation to safeguard sustained access to specialized crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth.
The full letter is available here.