CIRM Eyes Three Firms for $200,000 Lobbying Job

The California stem cell agency has not yet made a decision on which of three firms to hire as a $200,000 lobbyist to promote a $10 billion aid package for the biomedical industry.

Don Gibbons, chief communications officer for CIRM, said proposals have been submitted by Van Scoyoc Associates, Hogan & Hartson and The Podesta Group.

The stem cell agency was on a fast track to hire a lobbyist, perhaps as early as last Friday, but Gibbons said that no decision had been made as of Monday.

Van Scoyoc is a Washington, D.C., firm whose web site says,

"We have been a central player in the multi-year effort to double funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Wikipedia says the firm is 'the largest and most prestigious independent government affairs firm in Washington."

Hogan & Hartson is an international law firm with 1,100 lawyers and offices in both San Francisco and Washington. According to Wikipedia, it is "recognized for excellence in its life sciences and technology practice."

The Podesta Group's clients include Amgen and Genentech. Its principal, Tony Podesta, is "ranked as the the third most influential lobbyist in Washington," according to Wikipedia.