American Academy of Pediatrics Sues HHS Over $12 Million Grant Cancellation

By Sam Barron    |   Wednesday, 24 December 2025 06:03 PM EST
The American Academy of Pediatrics has filed a lawsuit after the Department of Health and Human Services terminated nearly $12 million in federal grants to the organization. The grants were cut in retaliation for its opposition to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to federal vaccine policy.

In the lawsuit, the AAP argued that the cancellation violates its First Amendment rights, stating it was not a routine reassessment of whether the terminated awards advanced agency priorities but rather an intentional decision by HHS leadership to punish the organization for criticizing the agency’s health policies. The affected grants supported critical programs aimed at preventing sudden unexpected infant death, improving early detection of developmental disabilities and birth defects, strengthening pediatric care in rural communities, assisting adolescents facing substance use and mental health challenges, and raising standards of newborn care.

“The programs at stake are collateral damage,” the lawsuit stated. “They were canceled not because they align with policies the current administration opposes on their own terms, but merely because HHS wants to harm AAP for its advocacy.”

As part of the suit, the AAP seeks a federal court order to block the funding cuts and restore the terminated grants. Kennedy has previously called for the AAP to disclose corporations backing the organization, alleging that the group’s recommendations may reflect commercial interests rather than public health concerns. The AAP had previously joined other medical organizations in suing HHS over the decision to remove the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedules for children and pregnant women.