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GOP legislative leader Mike Johnson charged the opposing party of being “lacking seriousness” in negotiations to end the federal government shutdown, entering its fifth day and expected to last into next week or longer.

Negotiations among the two major parties hit a standstill during the weekend, with no votes anticipated to resolve the impasse. Survey data revealed only 28% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans consider their party’s positions worth shutting down the government.

In his comments on a major news program, the speaker claimed his chamber had done its work through approving legislation to keep the government financed but now it was up to the Senate “to restart government operations so that everyone can do their work”. He accused Democrats with not participating “in a serious negotiation”.

“They’re doing this for political protection since the Democratic leader fears losing his next re-election bid in the Senate facing a challenge by a progressive candidate in New York, because that’s the new popular thing out there,” he said, referring to the Bronx representative who may be looking to challenge the Senate leader for the Senate position next year.

But Johnson’s counterpart, the opposition leader, responded on the same show that a Republican senator lied last week by asserting that Democrats weren’t truthful about their intentions concerning healthcare benefits for immigrants without documentation.

“GOP members are deceitful since they’re trailing in public support,” Jeffries stated, noting his party was “advocating for the healthcare of hard-working American taxpayers, of working-class Americans, of middle-class Americans”.

Jeffries also responded to comments by the former president on a social platform labeling the Democratic party as malicious and destructive accompanied by images of prominent Democrats, including left-leaning lawmakers, the Democratic Senate leader, the previous House speaker, and the ex-president and his wife.

Questioned if he could still negotiate with the ex-leader, Jeffries said the ex-president’s conduct “is shocking, it’s irrational, it’s unjustifiable, and it speaks for itself. The American people deserve better than lies, than attacks, manipulated media and a leader devoting all of his time to golfing.”

Leaders of the political leadership have not had formal talks in nearly a week as both seek to gain a political edge ahead of renewed discussions.

Jeffries stated following their last discussion last Monday, “GOP leaders, including the former president, have ceased communication while Democratic leaders “will keep emphasizing, both the Senate leader and I, that we will sit down whenever and wherever, with anyone to resolve this matter with the seriousness it requires”.

The struggle for political advantage persisted through Sunday as Johnson stated that the possibility for temporary government job suspensions, called furloughs, hardening into permanent job layoffs “is an unfortunate circumstance the administration wishes to avoid”.

A senior administration economic official ramped up pressure against Democrats, stating the administration will start mass layoffs among government employees should the leader determine negotiations with Democrats are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The adviser told a Sunday talk show that the administration “are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don’t”. However, he suggested it is possible that Democrats could back down.

“I believe all parties remain optimistic that with a new beginning early this week, that we can get Democrats to recognize that it’s logical to prevent job losses of that nature,” the adviser said.

But some fear Democrats have walked into a trap. The speaker stated Sunday that the president had asked the Democratic leadership to keep the government open.

“In a situation like this, with Senate Democrats have decided to turn government control to the administration, they must take difficult choices,” he said, referencing the management official.

The budget director, the speaker stated, “must now examine the entire government, acknowledging funding sources are discontinued and determine which programs are essential, operations, and personnel. This isn’t a task he enjoys. But he’s being required to perform it by the Democratic leader.”

The cycle of blame continued with the Senate leader telling a news network Johnson “doesn’t want to discuss the actual problem, the healthcare crisis affecting citizens. So he puts up false narratives to distract the public.”

However, during a discussion scheduled for Monday, Johnson informed another news network he considers the issue of expiring healthcare subsidies – that Democrats place central to their negotiating position – as one that can be addressed later.

“We have effectively three months to negotiate in the White House and in the hall of Congress, that’s like an eternity,” Johnson remarked. “We need folks in good faith 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 would stay united following three Democrats broke away to vote with Republicans. He responded expressing confidence that “all Democrats understand that countless of their voters risk losing access to medical care”.

“We need a president who can act like an adult, who can come to the table and resolve to their self-imposed healthcare crisis,” he stated. “Currently this isn’t evident. We see the former president golfing frequently, we notice the House leader instructing representatives to skip legislative sessions, that there’s no work for government employees.”