Democratic Senator: Obamacare Is Like 'Green Eggs and Ham'

In his 21-hour speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, Ted Cruz presented a number of arguments for defunding the Affordable Care Act. He also, about five hours into his speech -- which was not a filibuster -- cracked open a copy of Green Eggs and Ham to read to his two young daughters, who were watching at home.

"Green Eggs and Ham was my favorite book when I was a boy," said the Republican senator from Texas, who also claimed his father had invented Dr. Seuss's iconic dish.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, who addressed the floor after Cruz finished speaking Wednesday afternoon, finds that hard to believe. "Anyone who knows that book knows that the moral of that book is try something before you condemn it," the New York Democrat said. "You might actually like it."

Schumer drew a comparison between the book's main character, Sam-I-Am, and Cruz. "The main character in Green Eggs and Ham resisted eating green eggs and ham. Maybe if he were a senator, he'd speak on the floor for 21 hours. But then when he tasted green eggs and ham, he actually liked it. Maybe, Sen. Cruz, as the president's health care bill goes into effect, you may actually find that you and your constituents actually like it."

The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to close the debate on the stopgap spending bill that would strip funding for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, setting the stage for voting to approve its own version to send to the House.