The court said the cuts may have been retaliation for the group speaking out against the federal government<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) \u2014 A judge has ruled that the Trump administration must restore millions in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> (AAP), saying the cuts may have been intended to punish the group for its public health positions.<\/p>\n U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell<\/a>‘s ruling temporarily restores seven federal grants to the AAP while a lawsuit continues.<\/p>\n The money supports programs aimed at rural health care, preventing sudden infant death and early screening for disabilities in young kids, among other child health initiatives.<\/p>\n In the preliminary injunction issued late Sunday, Howell said the evidence suggests the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may have acted with a \u201cretaliatory motive\u201d when it ended the grants in December.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a case about whether AAP or HHS is right or even has the better position on vaccinations and gender-affirming care for children, or any other public health policy,\u201d Howell wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a case about whether the federal government has exercised power in a manner designed to chill public health policy debate by retaliating against a leading and generally trusted pediatrician member professional organization focused on improving the health of children,” she added.<\/p>\n AAP says the funding was cut after it spoke out against administration policies, including changes to childhood vaccine guidance and restrictions on gender-affirming care.<\/p>\n HHS has denied those claims, saying the grants no longer matched department priorities.<\/p>\n The pediatrics group has publicly supported routine childhood vaccinations and last year released its own COVID-19 vaccine guidance, which differed from recommendations under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr<\/a>.<\/p>\n Howell said the Academy showed it would suffer irreparable harm without the funding and that keeping the programs running serves the public interest, especially while the court case continues.<\/p>\n Skye Perryman<\/a>, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represents AAP, praised the ruling.<\/p>\n \u201cNo administration gets to silence doctors, undermine public health, or put kids at risk, and we will not stop fighting until this unlawful retaliation is fully ended,” she told CNN<\/em>.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n Learn more about the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>. <\/p>\n