More than a handful of Democrats from the House have thrown down the gauntlet against the Department of Health and Human Services. They’re crying foul over a proposition to prune funding for a suicide prevention initiative aimed squarely at supporting LGBTQ youth. They’ve sounded the alarm, warning that such a decision could be more than just a political misstep, it could have “lethal consequences,” as reported by The Hill.
They expressed their concerns in a letter on Tuesday, in no uncertain terms, labelling the plan to eliminate the program as “shortsighted and dangerous.” The letter was delivered to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the wake of an exposed Trump administration budget proposal. This proposal would slash services tailor-made to LGBTQ youth who reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. These proposed cuts, initially spotlighted by The Washington Post, are part of a broader push by the administration to shrink what it refers to as excessive federal expenditure.
The lawmakers, led by Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois penned their thoughts with clear urgency. “Ending this mental health support for youth in distress would devastate a vital resource for some of our nation’s most vulnerable young people,” they wrote.
The specialized service for LGBTQ youth, launched in 2022, has accommodated nearly 1.3 million calls, texts, and digital conversations, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In February alone, the service fielded an average of 2,100 crisis contacts per day.
Even some Republicans have jumped on board, advocating for the continuance of the service. Reps. Mike Lawler of New York and Young Kim of California reached out to Kennedy earlier this month, calling the proposed cuts “a devastating setback, stripping away a critical resource for youth already at elevated risk.” These are real, vulnerable young people who urgently need access to mental health care,” they wrote.
The Trevor Project’s 2024 report found that 39% of LGBTQ youth aged 13-24 seriously considered suicide in the past year, with rates even higher among transgender and nonbinary youth.
Kennedy hasn’t directly addressed concerns about the 988 hotline cuts for LGBTQ youth but has defended broader HHS cuts, including a downsizing that could affect 20,000 federal workers. “Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants,” he said in a March statement announcing restructuring efforts.