Alston & Bird has announced the addition of Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and his chief of staff, Bob Siggins. Pomeroy and Siggins join other Alston & Bird health care notables, such as Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Tom Scully, the former administrator of CMS, and recent additions Kimberly Brandt, the former director of the Medicare Program Integrity Group for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Michael Park, a former health policy counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, and Paula Stannard, former deputy general counsel and acting general counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The firm’s health care group is one of the largest and deepest health and insurance policy practices in Washington and includes the broadest bipartisan array of former health policy and enforcement experts from CMS, the House, Senate and White House that exists in the nation today.
Tom Scully, Senior Counsel to Alston & Bird, commented, “Earl Pomeroy has been one of the most-respected and best liked Members of Congress who is known for working well with both Republicans and Democrats. He has been deeply involved in health policy issues for 30 years, as a state legislator, Insurance Commissioner and President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and for the last nine terms where he has served on the House Ways and Means Committee. As a member of both the Ways and Means Committee and the Agriculture Committee, Congressman Pomeroy had a huge impact for two decades on a range of issues beyond health care, including agriculture, trade, insurance, employee benefits and energy issues. His leadership on behalf of the citizens of North Dakota was aptly described in a recent New York Times article.” Bob Siggins brings over 20 years of political experience, first with his own consulting firm, and as chief of staff to Earl for the past decade, where he became steeped in health reform issues during the Congressional deliberations. “We are proud to have both Congressman Pomeroy and Bob join us,” said Scully.
Richard Hays, Alston & Bird’s managing partner added, “We have been focused on expanding our very successful health care practice, and we are thrilled to have them both join our team. Our clients will be well served by Congressman Pomeroy’s insight into Congress and his knowledge of the many issues he addressed during his years of public service.”
About Congressman Pomeroy
As North Dakota’s lone representative in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1992, Congressman Earl Pomeroy has earned a reputation as an independent-minded leader who brings North Dakota common sense to the debate over issues that affect our nation.
Pomeroy was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1980, and voters selected him as the state insurance commissioner in 1984. During his tenure as insurance commissioner, he served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
During his time in Congress, Pomeroy has made the concerns of North Dakota his top priority. Called “articulate, cheerful and sincere” by the Almanac of American Politics and a “billboard for North Dakota values” by the Bismarck Tribune, Pomeroy’s leadership and hard work earned him a spot on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. This post gives him influence over key policy decisions on tax, trade, Social Security and Medicare issues.
In addition, Pomeroy is one of the few members of the Ways and Means Committee to secure a post on a second House committee. His leadership and advocacy on behalf of rural America earned him a special waiver allowing him to also hold a seat on the House Agriculture Committee.
With his dual roles in the House committees that oversee tax and agriculture policy, Pomeroy was in a unique position to shape the last farm bill to provide a stronger safety net for family farmers and ranchers in North Dakota. His ongoing work has made him one of the nation’s most respected advocates of producers and rural America.
Pomeroy was born in Valley City, North Dakota, on September 2, 1952. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Dakota before returning to his hometown to practice law for five years.
About Bob Siggins
Mr. Siggins has served as Congressman Pomeroy’s chief of staff since April 2002. Overseeing all facets of the Congressional operation in Washington, D.C., and North Dakota, Siggins also had primary responsibility for campaign fundraising in a highly competitive Congressional district. Siggins has made several accomplishments over the years he has served as Congressman Pomeroy’s chief of staff, including spearheading outreach and legislative strategy on health care reform to make Congressman a leader in delivery system reform and cost containment efforts; authoring Accountable Care Organization (ACO) provisions in the House bill; managing office effort in serving as Whip in successful passage of the 2008 farm bill; developing and implementing successful strategies and processes for identifying office priority issues, as well as insuring office resources and staffing matched those priorities; and leading the campaign through four successful re-election efforts in one of the most competitive districts in the country, including the Congressman’s three highest re-election percentages.
Prior to obtaining his current position as chief of staff, Siggins was a partner in a prominent Democratic campaign consulting firm specializing in campaign fund raising and general strategy. Some of his most notable clients included Members of the Democratic leadership team and several committee chairs, such as Congressman Joseph Crowley, Congressman Xavier Becerra and Congressman John Dingell. As partner, Siggins led client development and management efforts, as well as managing a staff ranging in size from five to 10 people.
Siggins served four years in the United States Navy (1985-1989) as a Surface Warfare Officer on the USS Barnstable County stationed in Little Creek, Virginia. Over his service, Siggins served as a communications officer, managing a division of 20 and all equipment through a successful UNITAS deployment. He later took over as Deck Department head—a position normally occupied by a more senior officer—on short notice and successfully led a department of nearly 100 men through a successful Mediterranean deployment. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance.