[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 14 (Friday, January 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E61]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                      CONGRATULATING SHEILA DACEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN A. YARMUTH

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 21, 2022

  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the distinguished 
career and retirement of Sheila Dacey after 26 years of service at the 
Congressional Budget Office. Sheila has been Chief of the Income 
Security and Education Cost Estimates Unit in CBO's Budget Analysis 
Division since 2015, following two decades as an analyst in that unit. 
Sheila served in numerous capacities as an analyst, including long 
stints analyzing welfare programs and Social Security.
  It is hard to overstate Sheila's role in analyzing the budgetary 
impacts of income security legislation over the past two decades. 
Sheila was instrumental in providing insightful and objective estimates 
of the effects of much of the important income security legislation 
that the Congress has considered, debated, and enacted since 1995. 
Notable examples include the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, subsequent 
changes to the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, numerous 
bills to improve child support enforcement, and legislation affecting 
Social Security benefits. As a unit chief, she was instrumental in 
managing CBO's work related to unemployment insurance benefits provided 
during the COVID pandemic.
  Sheila has worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and staff on 
both sides of the aisle throughout the years. During many hours of 
discussion and patient explanation, she was always methodically 
forthright and fair, embodying CBO's commitment to nonpartisan 
analysis. She helped us understand the key levers to move an estimate 
and the need to focus on making the language match the intent.
  Sheila has been a mentor and guide to numerous analysts at CBO. 
Thanks to her efforts, those analysts have learned to dig deeper and 
consider all the possible outcomes of a bill. The high standards that 
she set for herself and for other analysts will continue to be a 
benchmark for CBO's analysis going forward.
  On behalf of the House Budget Committee, I thank Sheila for her years 
of dedicated service to the Congress and extend to her our best wishes 
for a well-earned retirement.

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