Washington, June 13 (IANS) Bipartisan lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to restore specialised crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after federal health officials acknowledged Congress directed the programme’s return but said they were still determining how to implement it.
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who authored the bipartisan 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act, said Congress had already settled the issue and accused the administration of delaying the restoration of the 988 Lifeline’s “Press 3” option for LGBTQ+ youth.
“Congress could not have been clearer: the Trump Administration must restore the 988 Lifeline’s ‘Press 3’ option, the specialized crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement released Friday.
The congressman was responding to a June 9 letter from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which acknowledged that Congress directed the restoration of specialised LGBTQ+ youth services through fiscal year 2026 appropriations legislation but said the agency was still evaluating how to proceed while complying with Executive Order 14168.
The letter noted that appropriations language approved by Congress directs SAMHSA to restore funding for “Specialized Services for LGBTQ+ Youth, including the 988 ‘Press 3’ option”. It also requires the agency to provide specialised services for LGBTQ+ youth, including training for counsellors and systems to transfer callers to speciality organisations.
“SAMHSA is currently assessing the most appropriate approach to implementing this congressional directive for the ‘Press 3’ option within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, while ensuring compliance with Executive Order 14168,” Christopher Carroll, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, wrote in the letter.
Krishnamoorthi argued that the administration’s response confirmed Congress had already spoken on the issue.
“Executive orders cannot override federal law, and Congress already settled this question: the Trump Administration must restore these services, including for transgender young people,” he said.
“This is not a political question. It is about making sure that when LGBTQ+ young people reach out for help in their darkest moment, they can connect with trained counselors who understand what they are going through and can provide the support they need.”
The dispute comes months after Krishnamoorthi joined Representatives Sharice Davids, Seth Moulton, Michael Lawler and Brian Fitzpatrick in urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restart the specialised services and ensure they were fully operational by February 28.
According to the lawmakers, Congress directed $33.1 million for the programme and warned that continued discontinuation would undermine both congressional intent and suicide-prevention efforts.
SAMHSA said in its response that the broader 988 Lifeline would continue serving all callers regardless of the ongoing review.
“Regardless, the 988 Lifeline will continue to serve all callers, providing 24/7 access to skilled, caring, and culturally competent crisis counselors for individuals experiencing suicidal, substance use, or mental health crises,” the agency said.
The debate over specialised LGBTQ+ youth services has become part of a broader national discussion over federal policies affecting LGBTQ+ Americans. Krishnamoorthi has since introduced the bipartisan 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act, which seeks to permanently codify the specialised crisis services into federal law and shield them from future administrative changes.
–IANS
lkj/rs
