Commending Robert Sunshine

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Robert Sunshine on his retirement after 48 years of stellar service to the Congressional Budget Office, the Congress, and the country. I'd like to take a few minutes to honor this truly exceptional public servant.

Bob's tenure at CBO has been extraordinary, not just for its longevity, but for the outstanding work he has produced and the people he has so deeply affected. Throughout his distinguished career, he has served as a mentor to countless members of the CBO staff (and to CBO's directors) who have valued his wisdom, work ethic, and experienced perspective. Bob truly exemplifies the values of dedication and leadership--of upholding CBO's mandate to be objective, impartial, and nonpartisan.

Before coming to CBO, Bob was a senior associate at a transportation consulting firm. He joined CBO in 1976 when the agency was in its infancy. His first job was as principal analyst, covering transportation issues in what is now the Natural and Physical Resources Cost Estimates Unit of CBO's Budget Analysis Division.

Bob quickly demonstrated his analytical skills and breadth of knowledge and was promoted in 1978 to become Unit Chief. In that role, he led his staff in providing high-quality and timely budgetary projections and analyses of legislative proposals on a wide range of topics, including energy, land and water management, disaster assistance, and banking--to name just a few.

In 1995, Bob became the Budget Analysis Division's Deputy Assistant Director, and in 1999 he was named CBO's Assistant Director of Budget Analysis. In that capacity, he oversaw much of the agency's work. He supervised the preparation of cost estimates and intergovernmental mandate statements for legislation being considered by the Congress. He also managed the preparation of the multiyear budget and economic projections that constitute the baseline for the Congressional budget process, the agency's annual analyses of the President's budget proposals, and CBO's ongoing contributions to the Congressional budget scorekeeping system. He also continued in his role as the executive editor of the agency's long-running Monthly Budget Review.

In 2003, Bob received the James L. Blum Award for exceptional and distinguished accomplishment and leadership in public budgeting from the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis.

Bob served as Acting Director of CBO from November 25, 2008, to January 22, 2009, before becoming Senior Adviser to the Director and unofficial quality control officer for CBO's written products.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, CBO's Director from 2003 to 2005, described Bob as ``the living heart of CBO. He has molded the agency, sustained its focus on its mission, and passed his wisdom along to generations of analysts--and Directors! It is hard to imagine CBO without him.''

Peter Orszag, CBO's Director from 2007 to 2008 said, ``It is no exaggeration to say that CBO is what it is today--rigorous, independent, and widely respected--in no small part because of Bob Sunshine. For nearly half a century, he has worked in service of facts, good analysis, and sound policymaking. Bob's counsel made me a better CBO Director, just as he has made better everyone who has been lucky enough to work alongside him. Most importantly, Bob has done all of this and more without losing his sense of humor and his humanity.''

Bob is highly regarded by Members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, on both sides of the Capitol for his deep knowledge of the budget process and commitment to CBO's role in that process.

Paul Ryan, former Speaker of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget said, ``Bob Sunshine has made critical contributions over CBO's entire history to ensure it developed and provided non-partisan and objective data and analyses to the Congress. Few can match the unwavering, sustained, and lengthy commitment Bob made to CBO.''

Bill Hoagland, a former staff director of the Senate Budget Committee, described Bob as ``Solid, steadfast, loyal, with unbending integrity. The rock for almost the entire span of CBO's existence, Bob provided the `sunshine' to what otherwise can be a depressing subject-- the federal budget.''

Bob also is a lay leader of Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Maryland, and a devoted husband of 57 years to his wife Laurie, proud father of two sons, Ari (married to Jennifer) and Josh (married to Dara), and delighted grandfather to four grandchildren.

His professional accomplishments set him apart, but it is his personal ethic--his optimism and thoughtful consideration for his friends and colleagues--that truly defines him. I wish him well as he moves on after decades of outstanding service to the Congress. I am grateful for that service, and I wish him the best in the years to come.

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