[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 15, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO PEGGY EVANS

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
dedicated career and service to the Congress and the Nation of Ms. 
Margaret ``Peggy'' Evans, who is retiring at the end of this month 
after over 22 years of service in both the executive and legislative 
branches of our government. She has dedicated most of her life to 
helping keep our Nation and its citizens secure, and we honor her for 
her service.
  Peggy is leaving the Senate as the budget director of the Senate 
Select Committee on Intelligence. During her 4 years on the committee, 
Peggy has been integral to the development and passage of four annual 
intelligence authorizations bills, including three within a span of 15 
months. She oversaw the committee's budget staff in drafting the 
classified annexes to the bills, worked collaboratively with the 
intelligence community agencies and the Office of Management and 
Budget, and negotiated legislation with other Senate and House 
committees.
  Through her time with the committee, Peggy brought new and creative 
proposals to the committee and was a fierce advocate for programs that 
she believed would provide greater effectiveness or efficiency to the 
intelligence community. She also worked very closely with our 
committee's Technical Advisory Group, our science and technical 
advisors, especially in the group's review of imagery satellites, which 
will no doubt come to be seen as being ahead of its time.
  Prior to coming to Capitol Hill, Ms. Evans had served 13 years at the 
Central Intelligence Agency. Reflecting her many skills, she worked in 
both the analysis and the operations side of the CIA and also led 
covert action programs. Although we may not disclose the details, Peggy 
spent much of her CIA career countering terrorist groups and the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
  Her next national security assignment was in the White House Office 
of Management and Budget. During her 5 years in that job, Peggy rose 
from a budget examiner to be Acting Deputy Associate Director for 
National Security--the President's senior civil servant adviser on the 
national security budget.
  During her time in the private sector, Peggy has also founded and led 
two companies, one that builds environmentally sustainable homes and 
one that provides environmental consulting services to homeowners, 
builders, and facilities managers. These companies earned numerous 
Energy Star and Green Home Choice Awards.
  She is a renaissance woman, skilled in public and private life, and 
the committee wishes her continued success in her professional 
endeavors as she returns to private life.
  But Peggy's devotion to the Nation's security is matched by her 
dedication to her family. Peggy and her husband Roger Ney have raised 
six children and guided them through college and into the start of 
their careers. With her retirement, she will have more time to spend 
with them and with her hobbies of reading, pottery, soccer, memorizing 
arcana from the ``Lord of the Rings,'' designing homes, and spending 
time at the beach.
  I am pleased to have the opportunity to publicly thank Peggy and to 
note my appreciation for her dedicated and dignified efforts. We will 
miss your insight and experience and your commitment to pursuing the 
right policies to protect our Nation.

                          ____________________