Congressman Krishnamoorthi Leads Effort with Moulton, Lawler, Fitzpatrick in Urging HHS to Preserve LGBTQ+ Youth Crisis Services

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) joined Congressmen Mike Lawler (R-NY), Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse the decision to discontinue specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In the bipartisan letter, the congressmen expressed alarm and concern over the plan to terminate the service within the next 30 days, pointing to its proven impact in the form of an average of roughly 2,100 contacts each day as of February 2025. Following the adoption of 24/7 availability in March 2023, there have been over 1.3 million calls, texts, and chats, providing LGBTQ+ youth in need with a safe, reliable, and secure outlet during a moment of crisis.

“To a young person feeling alone and scared, 988 is truly a lifeline,” the congressmen wrote in their letter. “Discontinuing this service would be a dangerous step backward and would send a devastating message to LGBTQ+ young people across the country that their needs are not seen, their lives are not valued, and that support will not be there in their darkest hour. We cannot allow that to happen.”

“Cutting this crisis line is not just a policy decision; it’s a moral failure,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “We have a duty to protect every young person in crisis, and ending this service would abandon LGBTQ+ youth at the exact moment they need us most.”

The bipartisan group concluded their letter by urging HHS to maintain the staffing, infrastructure, and funding necessary to continue this lifesaving service.

The full letter is available here.