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GOP legislative leader Mike Johnson charged the opposing party of being “not serious” in negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing government closure, entering its fifth day and expected to last into next week or longer.

Talks between the two major parties hit a standstill during the weekend, with no votes anticipated to resolve the impasse. A recent poll found only 28% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans consider their party’s positions justifies a government shutdown.

During an interview with a national television show, Johnson stated his chamber had done its work by passing a measure for government funding but now it was up to the Senate “to restart government operations enabling federal employees to resume work”. He charged the opposition with not participating “in a serious negotiation”.

“They’re doing this for political protection because the Democratic leader fears that he won’t win his next re-election bid in the Senate facing a challenge from a left-wing contender in New York, as this is becoming trendy in politics,” he said, referring to a New York congresswoman potentially challenging the Senate leader for his seat next year.

But Johnson’s counterpart, the opposition leader, told the same program that a Republican senator made false statements recently by asserting Democrats were being dishonest regarding their goals related to medical coverage for undocumented immigrants.

“Republicans are lying since they’re trailing in public support,” Jeffries stated, and added that Democrats are “standing up for medical care of hard-working American taxpayers, of working-class Americans, for the middle class”.

Jeffries also responded to remarks by the former president in a social media post labeling the Democratic party as malicious and destructive accompanied by images of party figures, including left-leaning lawmakers, the Senate leader, the previous House speaker, and the former president and first lady.

When asked about continuing talks with the former president, Jeffries said the ex-president’s conduct “is shocking, it’s unhinged, it’s unreasonable, and it speaks for itself. The American people merit more than lies, hostilities, than deepfake videos and the president spending excessive time on the golf course.”

Top political figures haven’t engaged in official discussions for almost a week while both parties attempt to gain a political edge before resuming negotiations.

Jeffries stated following their last discussion earlier this week, “Republicans, including the former president, have gone radio silent and the Democratic party leadership “will keep emphasizing, both the Senate leader and I, that we are ready to meet whenever and wherever, with all parties to address this issue with the earnestness it requires”.

The battle for high political ground persisted through Sunday with Johnson claiming that the possibility of temporary federal employee furloughs, known as furloughs, evolving into permanent dismissals “is an unfortunate circumstance that the president does not want”.

A senior administration economic official ramped up pressure against Democrats, saying the White House may initiate widespread job cuts of federal workers if the president decides negotiations with Democrats are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The official stated on a national news program that the president and budget director “are preparing measures and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping to avoid it”. But he predicted there’s a chance that Democrats might compromise.

“I think that everybody remain optimistic that when we get a fresh start at the beginning of the week, that we can get Democrats to recognize that it’s logical to avoid layoffs of that nature,” the official commented.

But some fear Democrats have walked into a trap. The speaker stated Sunday that the administration requested Democratic leaders to keep the government open.

“Under these circumstances, where the Senate Democrats choosing to hand the keys to the kingdom to the administration, they have to make tough decisions,” he said, referencing the budget director.

The management official, Johnson said, “has to now look at the entire government, acknowledging funding sources have been turned off and determine which programs are essential, policies, and staff. That’s not a job he enjoys. But he’s compelled to do it by the Senate leader.”

The spirit of mutual recrimination persisted as the Democratic leader telling a news network Johnson “doesn’t want to discuss the real issue, the medical care crisis affecting citizens. Therefore he creates all these fake lies to distract the public.”

But in an interview scheduled for Monday, Johnson told another news network he views the issue of expiring healthcare subsidies – that Democrats place central in their bargaining stance – as something resolvable later.

“We have effectively a quarter-year for discussions with the administration and in the hall of Congress, that’s ample time,” Johnson said. “We need folks in good faith to come around the table and hold those talks. And we can’t do it when the government is shut down,” he added.

A leading Senate Democrat also speaking to a Sunday show was asked whether his party members in the Senate remain unified following three Democrats defected to support GOP measures. He responded expressing confidence that “all Democrats understand that countless of their constituents risk losing access of their healthcare”.

“We require a leader who behaves maturely, who will negotiate and negotiate an end to this manufactured healthcare emergency,” he stated. “Right now we don’t see that. We observe the ex-leader golfing frequently, we see the speaker telling his House colleagues to skip legislative sessions, that there’s no work for government employees.”