Making History: Cruz Still Standing After Sixteen Hours

UPDATE: 9:26 am. We are in hour 18 now.

UPDATE: 8:34 am. Senator Rubio, Senator Rand Paul and Senator Pat Roberts have all been on the floor this morning asking questions. Rubio explained why Obamacare is a threat to the American Dream. Senator Rand Paul reminded us Obamacare was passed without a single Republican vote and now, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid won't allow for amendments to be offered. Senator Roberts thanked Cruz for showing respect to his Senator colleagues, especially to those who disagree with them.

6:00 am: After sixteen hours on the Senate Floor, Texas Senator Ted Cruz is still standing after a long overnight filibuster of Obamacare.

By 5 a.m. Wednesday, the length of Cruz’s marathon discourse had surpassed more traditional talking filibusters delivered by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in March and a roughly 14-hour filibuster delivered by the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) in 1964.

As he outlined his opposition to the health-care law, Cruz’s hours of oratory touched a broad mix of subjects and sources, ranging from lyrics from a song by country music star Toby Keith; excerpts from the book, “Atlas Shrugged,” a favorite of libertarians; quotations from the popular reality television show, “Duck Dynasty;” the unemployment rate among African American teenagers; how his father, Rafael Cruz, used to make green eggs and ham for breakfast; a recent acceptance speech by actor Ashton Kutcher at an awards show; and the restaurants Denny’s, Benihana and White Castle.

Cruz has been getting some help from Senators Paul, Lee and Rubio overnight and many Americans stayed up all night to watch.