mr. isakson: mr. president, i'm delighted that the senate is talking about our veterans. i'm disappointed that the bill that's before us did not go through the entire committee process. i'm grateful that senator burr, the ranking member, has brought forward a side-by-side bill which i would like to discuss for a moment on the floor of the senate, and i am particularly glad that that bill also brings up the iran sanctions issue. i know the administration has kind of backed away from the sanctions because of some things that happened recently and does not want a sanctions bill to pass the senate, but i followed closely what's happened in the middle east. i go back to 1979 when georgians were held hostage in the american embassy initarian for -- in tehran for 444 days. i have a lot of experience with that part of the world, and i think there are some things we should be reminded of. this bill, the burr bill, that includes the veterans' benefits, also includes nuclear weapons sanctions on iran and most of the provisions of the nuclear weapons-free iran act. in particular, thr

mr. isakson: i rise for two specific points which i would ask be divided in the record and i would note that place. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. isakson: first, as we leave washington for about ten days, i want to leave some suggestions in president obama's suggestion box. there has been a lot of commentary about income inequality, needing to raise the minimum wage, needing to create more jobs and the president talking about doing these with the stroke of a pen from his office because of the uncooperative legislative branch. i would like to make suggestions on four things the president himself can do to immediately create job creation and a more robust economy to the united states of america. first trade promotion authority. the president said in his remarks at the state of the union that he was for trade promotion authority. we need to get -- him to get with the democratic majority to bring this to the senate. in the history of the 1980's, the republican congress gave president bill clinton trade promotion authority or fast track. america's exports and imports grew exponent