On the recordSeptember 17, 2014
Mr. President, the sad thing is the people who were involved in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield are in the middle of this. We have this other bill that there are some concerns about. That is fine. That is what this place is all about. But the idea of holding the Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield bill hostage in this situation is not good. We live in an era of gridlock, and we have problems getting things done. This bill passed the House unanimously and would pass the Senate unanimously. So I would hope that we can again get together and get things worked out. The reality is and the problem is that there is no reason to couple these two together. If the other bill has problems, it needs to be worked out. That is what it is all about. Let's have that discussion. But the Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield bill has nothing to do with that. So I would hope that in the near future we can move forward and honor these 600,000 people who participated, so that one day their children can come and visit Washington and be able to look at the monument about which the committee will decide as to what is appropriate so that we can honor these individuals. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa. UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--Calendar No. 12
