Stopping Political Retaliation Against Pediatricians for Defending Children’s Health

This case challenges the federal government’s abrupt termination of nearly $12 million in public-health funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in retaliation for the organization’s protected speech and advocacy on behalf of children.

AAP is the nation’s leading professional organization for pediatricians, representing more than 67,000 members nationwide. For decades, AAP has partnered with federal agencies to administer congressionally authorized public-health programs that protect infants, children, adolescents, and families.

On December 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), abruptly terminated seven long-running federal grants to AAP. These grants supported essential child-health initiatives, including newborn hearing screening, safe-sleep education to prevent sudden unexpected infant death, early identification of developmental disabilities, pediatric care in rural communities, and programs addressing youth mental health and substance use.

Democracy Forward represents AAP in this lawsuit, which alleges that HHS terminated the grants not for legitimate programmatic reasons, but to punish AAP for speaking out against administration health policies—including its evidence-based advocacy for pediatric vaccination and opposition to efforts that undermine medical consensus. The complaint details public statements by senior administration officials criticizing AAP’s advocacy and links those attacks directly to the funding cuts.

AAP argues that the terminations violate the First Amendment by retaliating against protected speech and imposing unconstitutional conditions on federal funding. The lawsuit also alleges viewpoint discrimination, violations of equal protection under the Fifth Amendment, and unlawful agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act.

AAP warns that these unlawful cuts will force the termination of life-saving public-health programs within weeks, lead to staff layoffs, and deprive communities across the country of essential pediatric services. The complaint asks the court to immediately block the grant terminations and order the restoration of funding while the case proceeds.