Mr. President, I am not going to wait to speak, but if I might ask the distinguished Senator from Indiana a question, and then certainly agree to however much time he wants. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Would the Senator yield for a question?

Mr. President, I see the great junior Senator from Virginia waiting to speak. I would like to make a quick statement. I again want to remind the Senate and anybody who is listening what brought about the shutdown. It has been going on now…

I want to encourage you. I met with two of your CEOs last week and they were not ready to step up and go talk to the leadership in the House of Representatives that were allowing this shutdown to continue.

The restraint of the companies is not putting the real life in front of the small group in the House of Representatives that is causing this shutdown.

When I said, well, do you think that default is going to have some consequence on your companies, they said: Oh, no, no, no; we'll get activated with regard to the default.

This shutdown is not about deficits now. This shutdown was about defunding Obamacare.

Madam President, mindful of the hour and that the Senate is about to recess, I want to say to my colleague from Florida, who is my friend, that I have optimism and I have faith in our country as well. I think it is interesting that the…

Ninety-seven percent.

Mr. President, I want to add my remarks now for the third time about this shutdown. I want to say this is not the way we ought to be running our government, and enough ought to be enough. For example, as you know, the Secretary of Defense…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the period for morning business be extended until 7 p.m., and that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered…

We cannot negotiate over the debt ceiling. National security is another consideration.