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GOP legislative leader the House leader charged the opposing party of being “lacking seriousness” in negotiations aimed at resolving the federal government shutdown, now on its fifth day and expected to last through next week or beyond.

Negotiations among the opposing political parties stalled over the weekend, and no legislative action expected to end the standoff. A recent poll revealed just 28% of Democratic voters and 23% of Republicans consider their party’s positions worth shutting down the government.

During an interview with a national television show, Johnson stated his chamber had done its work through approving legislation to keep the government financed but now it was up to the Senate “to turn the lights back on enabling federal employees to resume work”. He accused Democrats of failing to engage “in a serious negotiation”.

“This strategy to get political cover since the Senate leader is afraid losing his next re-election bid for Senate reelection because he’s going to be challenged by a progressive candidate in New York, as this is becoming trendy out there,” he remarked, mentioning a New York congresswoman who may be looking to challenge the Senate leader for the Senate position in the coming election.

However, the minority leader, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, responded on the same show that a Republican senator lied last week by asserting that Democrats weren’t truthful regarding their goals related to medical coverage for immigrants without documentation.

“GOP members are deceitful because they’re losing in public support,” Jeffries stated, noting his party was “advocating for medical care for American workers, for labor-class citizens, of middle-class Americans”.

The minority leader also addressed to remarks from the ex-president on a social platform in which he called Democrats the party of “hate, evil, and Satan” alongside pictures of party figures, including progressive representatives, the Senate leader, the former speaker, and the ex-president and his wife.

Questioned about continuing talks with the former president, Jeffries said the president’s behavior “is shocking, it’s irrational, it’s unreasonable, and it speaks for itself. The American people deserve better than falsehoods, hostilities, manipulated media and a leader devoting all of his time on the golf course.”

Leaders of the political leadership haven’t engaged in official discussions for almost a week as both seek to secure political advantage before resuming negotiations.

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

The struggle for political advantage persisted through Sunday with Johnson claiming that the possibility of temporary federal employee furloughs, called furloughs, hardening into permanent job layoffs “is an unfortunate circumstance that the president does not want”.

A top White House economic adviser ramped up pressure against Democrats, stating the White House will start mass layoffs of federal workers should the leader determine discussions with the opposition are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The official stated on a Sunday talk show that the administration “are lining things up and getting ready to act if necessary, but hoping that they don’t”. However, he suggested it is possible that Democrats might compromise.

“I believe all parties remain optimistic that when we get a fresh start at the beginning of the week, we can persuade the Democrats to see that it’s logical to prevent job losses like that,” the adviser said.

However, concerns exist Democrats have walked into a trap. The speaker stated Sunday that the administration had asked the Democratic leadership to maintain government operations.

“In a situation like this, with Senate Democrats choosing to hand the keys to the kingdom to the administration, they must take tough decisions,” he said, pointing to the management official.

The budget director, Johnson said, “must now examine all of the federal government, acknowledging the funding streams have been turned off and decide what are essential programs, operations, and staff. This isn’t a task that he relishes. But he’s compelled to do it by the Senate leader.”

The spirit of mutual recrimination continued with the Democratic leader telling a news network that Johnson avoids discussing the actual problem, the medical care crisis facing the American people. So he puts up all these fake lies to try and divert attention.”

However, during a discussion scheduled for Monday, Johnson told a different network he views the problem of ending health subsidies – which Democrats prioritize in their bargaining stance – as one that can be addressed later.

“We have effectively three months to negotiate with the administration and in the hall of Congress, that’s ample time,” Johnson remarked. “We need folks acting sincerely to come around the table and have that discussion. And we can’t do it when the government is shut down,” he added.

A prominent Democratic senator also speaking to a Sunday show was asked whether his party members in the Senate remain unified after three Democratic senators defected to support GOP measures. The senator said he was confident that “all Democrats understand that countless of their voters are about to be priced out to medical care”.

“We need a president who can act like an adult, who can come to the table and negotiate an end to their self-imposed healthcare crisis,” the senator said. “Right now we don’t see that. We observe the ex-leader out on the golf course, we see the speaker instructing representatives not to even come to session, claiming no duties for the federal government to do.”