"I would never support any changes to Medicare that would hurt seniors like my mother," he said. "But anyone who is in favor of leaving Medicare exactly the way it is right now is in favor of bankrupting it."

Near the end of his speech, Rubio prayed that Democrats and Republicans "can come together to solve our problems," contending that, if they don't, the consequences will be stark.

"If we can get our economy healthy again, our children will be the most prosperous Americans ever," Rubio said. "And if we do not, we will forever be known as the generation responsible for America's decline."