Moulton and Colleagues Press HHS to Restore LGBTQ+ 988 Crisis Services
SALEM, MA — Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), the author of the legislation that created the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, today joined Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-03) in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding the Trump Administration restore the 988 Lifeline's LGBTQ+ specialized services — the "Press 3" option made possible by Congressman Moulton's law.
Congressman Moulton introduced the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act in 2019, which passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed into law in 2020, creating the 988 number and providing for specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth and other high-risk populations. That law was created to ensure vulnerable young people could reach trained counselors in a crisis.
“The Trump Administration is continuing to defy congressional intent by freezing a program that saves thousands of lives,” said Congressman Moulton. “Every day these lines stay offline, young people are left without the support they need, when they need it most. This cannot continue, and we are going to keep pressing the Trump Administration until they restore the LGBTQ+ line.
Since the "Press 3" option launched, more than 1.5 million LGBTQ+ youth in crisis have received support through the line, averaging more than 2,000 contacts per day before the Trump Administration shut it down last July.
During recent testimony before Congress, Secretary Kennedy stated the Department is "working on getting [the LGBTQ+ line] up now." The Members' letter makes clear that commitment has not translated into action:
"While that commitment is welcome, these services remain unavailable, leaving a critical gap in care for a population Congress has explicitly directed HHS to support."
Congress appropriated $33.1 million in Fiscal Year 2026 specifically to sustain these services. Moulton and his colleagues warned that leaving the line offline while that funding sits unused represents a direct violation of congressional intent.
The Members requested responses from HHS by May 21, 2026, including:
- The timeline for fully restoring the 988 "Press 3" LGBTQ+ specialized services nationwide
- Steps HHS has taken to deploy the appropriated $33.1 million in FY2026 funding
- What barriers are delaying restoration and what actions are being taken to resolve them
- How HHS will ensure these services remain fully operational once restored
The full letter is available here.