Attorney General Clark Joins Coalition Standing Up to Trump Administration Attacks on Professional Medical Organizations

Attorney General Charity Clarktoday joined a coalition of 19 state attorneys general in support of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which is being targeted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over recommendations that run counter to the Trump administration's preferred policies.

The coalition filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit filed by AAP challenging the FTC's improperly motivated demands that the organization turn over extensive information regarding AAP's deliberative processes, personnel, internal and external communications, political advocacy, educational programs, finances and more. The AAP is seeking a court order to block the FTC's Civil Investigative Demand for this information, which the FTC seeks to further the administration's political agenda, rather than to ensure the wide availability of safe healthcare.

In their brief, Attorney General Clarkand the coalition note that states have long been recognized as the regulators of healthcare and play a unique and critical role in ensuring that all people, including children and youth, have access to the highest quality and safest healthcare. To ensure that state public health policies and medical policy are driven by the latest developments and consensus among the medical and scientific community, Vermontlooks to the policies and recommendations of pediatric healthcare experts, such as the AAP. State agencies consider AAP guidance to help shape state policies to treat a range of childhood illnesses and medical conditions, such as measles and juvenile diabetes. States must be able to rely on the quality and accuracy of this guidance, which would be compromised by politically driven interference by the federal government.

Attorney General Clark and the coalition strongly oppose the Trump administration's political targeting of professional medical organizations like the AAP, which undermines states' ability to regulate the practice of medicine and ensure that safe and effective care is available to residents.

The attorneys general assert in their brief that the targeting of the AAP is part of a pattern by the Trump administration of disagreeing with widely held public health and medical recommendations of respected medical professionals and public health officials. The administration also often issues guidance that conflicts with such recommendations, not only concerning healthcare for transgender youth, but also on many different medical issues, ranging from what amounts to a healthy diet and nutrition to whether pregnant women can safely take some medicines, like Tylenol.

The coalition is urging the court to grant AAP a preliminary injunction to stop the FTC's investigative demands for information.

Joining Attorney General Clark in filing the brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.

A copy of the brief is available on our website.

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171