A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order requiring government agencies to restore public access to health-related webpages and datasets that were removed to comply with an executive order by President Donald Trump. The order was requested by the Doctors for America advocacy group and granted by U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington.
The judge instructed the government to restore access to several webpages and datasets that were identified as missing from websites and to identify others that were taken down without adequate notice or reasoned explanation.
On January 20, President Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to use the term “sex” instead of “gender” in federal policies and documents. In response, the Office of Personnel Management's acting director required agencies to eliminate programs and take down websites promoting “gender ideology.”
Doctors for America, represented by the Public Citizen Litigation Group, filed a lawsuit against OPM, the CDC, the FDA, and the Department of Health and Human Services, citing the adverse impact of the executive order on healthcare providers and patients.
The removed material includes reports on HIV prevention, CDC guidance on reproductive health care, and an FDA study on “sex differences in the clinical evaluation of medical products.” Plaintiffs argue that the removal of this information is delaying patient care, hampering research, and hindering doctors' ability to communicate effectively with patients.
The judge emphasized the potential harm to everyday Americans seeking medical care, stating that the inability of doctors to access vital information could result in individuals not receiving necessary treatment for severe, life-threatening conditions.
Doctors for America is a not-for-profit organization representing over 27,000 physicians and medical trainees. The group was formed from an earlier organization that advocated for health reform and supported President Barack Obama during his campaign.
