Pediatrics group sues U.S. Department of Health for funding cuts.
The American Academy of Pediatrics filed a civil action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday. The suit seeks to halt almost $12 million in federal grant reductions that were imposed in early December.
The academy says the federal agency discontinued several grant awards that finance programs for sudden unexpected infant death prevention, the delivery of pediatric care in rural areas, and the treatment of teen substance‑use and mental‑health disorders. Without the fiscal support, the organization is forced to suspend dozens of life‑saving initiatives.
According to the complaint, the academy has no alternate source of grant funding. It claims the cut will compel the agency to terminate services and lay off a substantial portion of its staff within weeks.
The academy maintains that the funding cut was a retaliatory act triggered by its public criticism of the Trump administration’s policies and its own vaccination guidance, which diverged from the federal position. It also notes its advocacy for gender‑affirming care and its opposition to HHS policies on that subject.
Democracy Forward, led by President and CEO Skye Perryman, represents the academy, while an HHS spokesperson has not yet responded to the case.