House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) indicated on Wednesday that the House is unlikely to reconvene for a vote on the Senate’s proposed $852 billion defense bill scheduled for consideration on Thursday—unless Senate Democrats first agree to resolve the ongoing government shutdown.

Johnson expressed skepticism that Senate Democrats would provide the necessary votes to pass the defense bill, amid a government shutdown now entering its third week. “I suspect Democrats will stick to their usual political tactics and block the measure,” Johnson remarked. “I hope to be proven wrong.”

Senate Republicans have planned the defense bill vote as a strategic move to exert pressure on Democrats regarding the shutdown situation.

The bill previously passed the Appropriations Committee with strong bipartisan backing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) appears to be challenging Democratic leaders, who have so far rejected a temporary Republican proposal to resolve the shutdown, to either support the defense bill or face the consequences of its failure during the stalemate.

The bill had passed through the Appropriations Committee with broad bipartisan support, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is all but daring Democratic leaders — who have refused to back a short-term GOP bill to end the shutdown — to sink the defense bill amid the impasse.

If Democrats suprise him and back the defense measure, ensuring its passage thorugh the Senate, Johnson still suggested he would hold the House GOP from Washington until the shutdown battle ends.

“We’re on a 48-hour return notice. … And dependent upon action in the Senate, we can get all this moving again and we can get back to all the regular order and all the things that are stacking up on our plates,” he said. 

“It is ironic that even though Democrats decided upon the end date, the seven weeks to go to Nov. 21, it is the Democrat leadership that is eating up the clock. And they are doing great harm to the American people — not just by suspending services, vital services, and paychecks. But also because of the backlog of work that the Congress has to get done,” the Speaker continued.  

“And we cannot do it while hardworking Americans are suffering because of these antics. And that’s why we’re demanding — insisting — that they get it open.”

The House has approved a funding bill that would keep the government open through Nov. 21, but Democrats in the Senate are not supporting it because they want subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, set to expire at the end of the year, to first be extended.

Democrats argue people will get notices this month about their premiums rising because of the expiration of the subsidies unless Congress takes action.

The GOP is divided over the subsidies, and Johnson has said it is an issue that can be discussed once the government is open. Democrats say they don’t trust the GOP and Johnson to stand by any commitments on the issue absent the leverage of the shutdown.