“[T]here has to be some point at which we say, ‘Look, this is the issue where we draw the line,’” Rubio said. “I mean, on this issue we’re willing to fight no matter what the consequences, politically or otherwise. If that issue is not Obamacare, I can’t understand what issue it would be. And that’s the point I tried to make — of all the issues out there, if there was one issue that we should be willing to go to the limit on, this is it. I mean, you look at the impact this thing is going to have October 1 on every aspect of our economy. There’s literally not one aspect of our economy that is not negatively affected by Obamacare. And if that’s not an issue we’re willing to fight to the end on, I’m not sure there is such an issue that we’d be will to do that on.”

Rubio argued the House has the power to pass a bill that would defund Obamacare and then send it to the Senate. If the Senate, led by the Democratic Party, chose to dismiss that bill and opt to shut down the government, the onus would be on the Senate, a point he said had not been made enough.