After taking the floor at 2:41 pm on Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke through the night on the Senate floor, and just before sunrise in Washington, D.C., the effort now has given him the fifth longest speech in Senate history.

With help from a series of Senators through the night, Cruz focused his arguments on the Obama health reform law, making the case that it was undermining the American economy.

"I intend to speak in support of defunding Obamacare until I am no longer able to stand," Cruz said as he started his speech; then he proved that by standing through the night.

At one point around bedtime for his daughters, Cruz even gave a dramatic reading of the Dr. Seuss favorite, Green Eggs and Ham.

At 6:54 am, Cruz took the prize of the fifth longest speech ever on the Senate floor, surpassing Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI), who spoke for over 16 hours in 1981, as he tried to block an increase in the federal debt limit to $1.079 trillion.

The longest speech ever in the Senate was by Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC).  Cruz would have to speak until after 3 pm on Wednesday to eclipse that mark, but Senate rules will likely prevent Cruz from getting to that record.