Federal Courts and Regulatory Power

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg held back‑to‑back hearings Tuesday in Washington on lawsuits by the Endocrine Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics seeking to block a Trump‑administration Federal Trade Commission demand for extensive data tied to transgender medical treatments for minors. The groups argue the FTC’s January Civil Investigative Demand into "pediatric gender dysphoria treatments" and alleged false advertising is an unconstitutional, politically motivated attempt to punish them for providing gender‑affirming care, and asked Boasberg for a preliminary injunction. DOJ lawyer John Bailey countered that the FTC is acting squarely within its consumer‑protection mandate and told the court that any dispute over the scope of the CID must run through the normal administrative process, not be narrowed by a federal judge. Boasberg pressed Bailey on whether he had any power to limit the demand, then took the matter under advisement, signaling he would rule quickly on whether to curb or allow the investigation to proceed. The clash unfolds as President Trump pursues a broader crackdown on gender‑transition procedures for minors, including an executive order cutting off federal support, and is drawing intense online debate over whether federal regulators are protecting patients or weaponizing consumer‑protection law against mainstream medical groups.