Former Utah congressman speaks about proposed end to LGBTQ services from 988 suicide hotline

CORRECTION: Initial reporting stated that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline as a whole could be ended. This was due to a mistake in initial reports from ABC4’s political affiliate, The Hill. ABC4 has updated this article and apologizes for inaccuracies in reporting.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline‘s LGBTQ resources could be ended, according to a leaked draft of the federal budget. The lifeline was implemented nationally after an act signed by President Donald Trump in 2020.

According to The Hill, a leaked draft of the federal budget showed that the program could be ended as soon as Oct. 1, if approved by Congress. The program is run through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Chris Stewart, a former Republican congressman from Utah, introduced the act — alongside Rep. Seth Moulton (D) from Massachusetts — to implement the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States. He retired from office in 2023.

Stewart, in an interview with ABC4, discussed his thoughts about the news regarding the 988 lifeline. He stated that he thinks that funding should not be cut, but also doesn’t expect it to.

“The hotline we know has saved literally hundreds of thousands of lives, and did that within the first year, and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives since,” Stewart stated about the importance of the crisis line.

Stewart, a veteran himself, said he got involved with suicide prevention and mental health because of the struggles veterans experience with ptsd, anxiety and depression. He says that youth face some mental health struggles as well, and that is another reason it’s so important to him.

“At one point, Utah had the fifth highest suicide rate among people in the country,” Stewart said. “Fortunately, we’ve made real progress since then, but the hotline has been a really important part of that.”

According to The Hill, there is concern that the removal of these services will negatively impact the LGBTQ community. The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization for LGBTQ youth, said that they offer services through the crisis line, and that cutting the program would negatively affect those struggling youth.

“I’ve actually worked with that community for quite a long time,” he said. “I think there’s a consensus that that may not be necessary and that we just have a hotline for young people.”

Stewart stated that while he does not believe the crisis line itself will end, he expects that the separation between services for non-LGBTQ and LGBTQ youth will end. Instead, they’ll be grouped under a youth counseling category.

“That’s probably where we’ll end up. There may not be a differentiation between your sexual orientation, it’s just for troubled youth,” Stewart said. “A lot of LGBTQ advocates agree with that.”

Abigail Jones and The Hill contributed to this report.