Ted Cruz includes ‘Duck Dynasty’ and ‘Star Wars’ references into his 21-hour speech on defunding Obamacare
Sen. Ted Cruz brought up popular shows and movies such as Duck Dynasty and Star Wars during his marathon speech advocating for the defunding of Obamacare in the U.S. Senate.
“Jeff said ‘Faith, family and facial hair,'” Cruz quoted “Duck Dynasty,” according to ABC News. “I point out to the junior senator from Utah, if we continue doing this long enough, we may have facial hair on the floor of the Senate.”
Although he is required to stand throughout his speech, Senate rules allow him to yield to questions from other senators. A number of GOP senators have helped him out in this regard, including Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), but he has also received questions from Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
“I will say standing here after 14 hours, standing on your feet, there’s sometimes some pain, sometimes some fatigue that is involved,” Cruz said at one point on the Senate floor. “But you know what? There’s far more pain involved in rolling over…far more pain in hiding in the shadows, far more pain in not standing for principle, not standing for the good, not standing for integrity.”
Cruz made his reference based on a phrase — “rebellion against oppression” — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) used in a question to the Texas Senator.
“I will confess that phrase, ‘a rebellion against oppression,’ conjured up to me the Rebel Alliance fighting against the Empire, the Empire being the Washington, DC, establishment,” Cruz said.
The Senator then joked about “a tall gentleman in a mechanical breathing apparatus” showing up in the Senate chamber and telling Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), “Mike Lee, I am your father.”
Cruz warned that “the Empire will strike back” — but the “Rebel Alliance…will prevail.”
