Trump Administration Reverses Decision, Revives Federal Web Pages Amid Court Intervention

Data Restored: Federal Judge Orders Agencies to Revert to January 30th Webpage Versions

In a recent court victory, a federal judge has ordered the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to restore public access to various health-related webpages. This comes after Doctors for America (DFA), a group representing physicians and medical students, filed a lawsuit against these agencies for removing health data from government websites without adequate notice.

A Court-Ordered Deadline

As per the court order, the agencies have until 11:59PM on February 11th to restore the removed webpages to their pre-removal versions as of January 30th. This deadline was set after a temporary restraining order was granted, which required the agencies to make the relevant data available online. The order specifically mentioned more than a dozen CDC and FDA webpages that needed to be restored, including the social vulnerability index and environmental justice index, which provide valuable information on potential health risks faced by specific populations.

A Lawsuit with Serious Consequences

DFA alleges that the agencies’ actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act by removing public access to the webpages without prior notice. The agencies failed to respond to requests for comment from us. The removal of this crucial data has caused significant disruptions to healthcare professionals, including Doctors for America members, who had to scramble to find alternative resources, slow their clinical practices, and reduce the information they could provide to patients.

A Call to Action

The court order is a significant victory for those advocating for transparency and public access to essential health information. Moving forward, Doctors for America and its supporters will work with the defendants to identify any further resources that require restoration, with a deadline of February 14th for these webpages to become accessible again. This development serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving public access to vital information and the need for greater transparency in government institutions.