Watch: Jeffries speaks as GOP seeks to put Democrats on defense

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon as the government shutdown reaches its 16th day.

Senate Republicans sought to take back momentum from Democrats more than two weeks into the government shutdown. Leaders scheduled a vote for Thursday on a $852 billion Pentagon bill defense vote to put pressure on Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), in an interview that aired Thursday morning on MSNBC, also reiterated his offer for a vote on extending ObamaCare subsidies in exchange for Democrats agreeing to reopen the government.

“We can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain,” Thune said. “At some point, Democrats have to take ‘yes’ for an answer.”

Jeffries, appearing Thursday morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," said that wasn't good enough, arguing that Democrats needed "ironclad" commitments on the future of health care, adding Republicans "can't be trusted on a wing and a prayer."

Watch a replay of Jeffries's press conference, which was scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT, in the player above.