Warren, Baldwin, Markey, Merkley Blast Proposed Trump Cuts to Suicide and Crisis Support Line for LGBTQ+ Youth
“[S]uicide prevention should be a nonpartisan issue. Elimination of services that help keep youth alive is reckless, and we urge you to reconsider your proposal to eliminate this lifeline.”
Cuts come as roughly 40 percent of LGBTQ+ young people reported seriously considering attempting suicide in previous year
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., slamming the Trump Administration’s plan to defund the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s service for LGBTQ+ youth, taking away lifesaving mental health resources from LGBTQ+ young people, who face a higher risk of mental health challenges than their peers. In April, reports surfaced that President Trump intends to slash 988’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program, which has received over 1.2 million crisis contacts since 2022, with a spike over the last several months.
The letter is also co-signed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.).
“Given the Administration has claimed addressing youth mental health as a priority, elimination of specialized services specifically designed for at-risk youth is irresponsible, we urge you to reconsider and support continued funding for the program,” wrote the senators.
The proposed cuts come at a time when LGBTQ+ youth continue to experience higher risks of depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide compared to other youths. A 2024 survey by The Trevor Project reported that nearly 40 percent of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year, and 12 percent of LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide – rates much higher than those present among non-LGBTQ+ youth.
After a successful pilot program, Republicans and Democrats in Congress expanded the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program to 24/7 operation in fiscal year 2023 before increasing funding from $7.2 million for the pilot to $33.1 million in fiscal year 2024 on a bipartisan basis. Like specialized services available to veterans and service members, disaster survivors, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and people with neurodivergence, the line connects LGBTQ+ youth with specially trained crisis counselors.
“[S]uicide prevention should be a nonpartisan issue. Elimination of services that help keep youth alive is reckless, and we urge you to reconsider your proposal to eliminate this lifeline,” concluded the senators.
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