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GOP legislative leader Mike Johnson has accused the opposing party are “lacking seriousness” during talks aimed at resolving the federal government shutdown, now on its fifth day with projections indicating it will continue through next week or beyond.

Negotiations among the opposing political parties hit a standstill during the weekend, and no legislative action expected to end the standoff. Survey data indicated just 28% of Democratic voters along with 23% of GOP supporters believe their party’s stance justifies a government shutdown.

In his comments with a national television show, Johnson stated the House fulfilled its duties by passing a measure to keep the government financed but now it was up to the Senate “to restart government operations enabling federal employees to resume work”. He accused Democrats of failing to engage “in a serious negotiation”.

“This strategy for political protection because the Democratic leader is afraid that he won’t win his upcoming election in the Senate facing a challenge from a left-wing contender in New York, because that’s the new popular thing in politics,” he said, mentioning the Bronx representative potentially challenging the incumbent senator for the Senate position next year.

However, the minority leader, the opposition leader, told the same program that a GOP legislator lied last week when he claimed Democrats were being dishonest about their intentions concerning healthcare benefits for immigrants without documentation.

“GOP members are deceitful because they’re losing in public support,” Jeffries stated, and added his party was “advocating for medical care of hard-working American taxpayers, for labor-class citizens, 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 alongside pictures of prominent Democrats, including progressive representatives, the Democratic Senate leader, the previous House speaker, and the ex-president and his wife.

When asked if he could still negotiate with the former president, Jeffries responded the ex-president’s conduct “is outrageous, it’s irrational, it’s unreasonable, and is self-explanatory. Citizens merit more than lies, than attacks, manipulated media and the president spending excessive time to golfing.”

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.

The minority leader mentioned following their last discussion earlier this week, “Republicans, along with the ex-president, have ceased communication while Democratic leaders “will keep emphasizing, the Senate leader and myself, that we will sit down any time, any place, with all parties to resolve this matter with the seriousness that it deserves”.

The battle for high political ground persisted through Sunday with Johnson claiming that the possibility of temporary federal employee furloughs, known as furloughs, hardening into permanent job layoffs “is a regrettable situation that the president does not want”.

A senior administration economic official increased pressure on Democrats, saying the White House will start mass layoffs among government employees if the president decides negotiations with Democrats have “completely stalled”.

The official stated on a Sunday talk show that the president and budget director “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 could back down.

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

But some fear that Democrats fell into a trap. Johnson said on Sunday that the president had asked the Democratic leadership to maintain government operations.

“Under these circumstances, with Senate Democrats have decided to turn government control to the administration, they have to make tough decisions,” he explained, pointing to the management official.

The management official, the speaker stated, “must now examine all of the federal government, recognizing that the funding streams have been turned off and decide which programs are essential, operations, and personnel. That’s not a job he enjoys. But he’s compelled to perform it by the Senate leader.”

The spirit of mutual recrimination persisted as the Democratic leader telling a news network that Johnson avoids discussing the actual problem, the medical care crisis affecting citizens. Therefore he creates false narratives to distract the public.”

However, during a discussion set to broadcast on Monday, Johnson informed a different network he considers the problem of ending health subsidies – which Democrats prioritize in their bargaining stance – as something resolvable later.

“We have effectively three months to negotiate with the administration and in the hall of Congress, that’s ample time,” Johnson said. “We require participants acting sincerely to negotiate together and hold those talks. And we can’t do it when the government is shut down,” he continued.

A leading Senate Democrat appearing on the same news program was questioned if his party delegates in the Senate would stay united after three Democratic senators defected to support GOP measures. The senator said he was confident that all party members recognize that millions and millions of their voters risk losing access of their healthcare”.

“We require a leader who behaves maturely, who can come to the table and resolve to this manufactured healthcare emergency,” he stated. “Currently this isn’t evident. We observe the ex-leader golfing frequently, we notice the House leader instructing representatives not to even come to session, that there’s no work for the federal government to do.”