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The Republican House speaker the House leader charged the opposing party are “lacking seriousness” during talks aimed at resolving the ongoing government closure, now on 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. Survey data found only 28% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans believe their party’s stance justifies a government shutdown.

In his comments with a national television show, Johnson stated the House had done its work through approving legislation to keep the government financed and now the responsibility lies with the Senate “to turn the lights back on enabling federal employees to resume work”. He charged the opposition with not participating “in a serious negotiation”.

“This strategy for political protection since the Senate leader fears that he won’t win his upcoming election for Senate reelection facing a challenge from a left-wing contender from New York, because that’s the new popular thing in politics,” he said, mentioning the Bronx representative potentially challenging 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 when he claimed Democrats were being dishonest regarding their goals related to medical coverage for undocumented immigrants.

“Republicans are lying because they’re losing in the court of public opinion,” Jeffries stated, and added his party was “standing up for the healthcare of hard-working American taxpayers, of working-class Americans, of middle-class Americans”.

Jeffries also responded to remarks by the former president on a social platform labeling the Democratic party of “hate, evil, and Satan” accompanied by images of prominent Democrats, such as left-leaning lawmakers, the Democratic Senate leader, the former speaker, and the former president and first lady.

Questioned if he could still negotiate with the former president, Jeffries responded the president’s behavior “is outrageous, it’s unhinged, it’s unjustifiable, and is self-explanatory. The American people merit more than lies, than attacks, than deepfake videos and the president spending excessive time to golfing.”

Top political figures haven’t engaged in official discussions for almost a week as both seek to gain a political edge ahead of renewed discussions.

The minority leader mentioned following their last discussion earlier this week, “GOP leaders, including the former president, have gone radio silent and the Democratic party leadership “will continue to make clear, the Senate leader and myself, that we are ready to meet whenever and wherever, with all parties to resolve this matter with the earnestness that it deserves”.

The struggle for political advantage persisted through Sunday with Johnson claiming that the possibility of temporary federal employee furloughs, known as furloughs, evolving into permanent dismissals “is a regrettable situation 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 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 preparing measures and ready to take action if necessary, but hoping that they don’t”. But he predicted there’s a chance that Democrats could back down.

“I believe all parties remain optimistic that with a fresh start early this week, that we can get Democrats to recognize that it’s just common sense to avoid layoffs like that,” the adviser said.

However, concerns exist that Democrats fell into a trap. Johnson said on Sunday that the administration had asked the Democratic leadership to maintain government operations.

“Under these circumstances, where the Senate Democrats choosing to hand the keys to the kingdom to the administration, they must take difficult choices,” he explained, referencing the management official.

The management official, Johnson said, “must now examine all of the federal government, recognizing that funding sources have been turned off and decide which programs are essential, policies, and staff. This isn’t a task he enjoys. But he’s compelled to do it by the Senate leader.”

The spirit of mutual recrimination persisted as the Senate leader telling a news network that Johnson avoids discussing the real issue, the medical care crisis facing the American people. Therefore he creates all these fake lies to try and divert attention.”

However, during a discussion scheduled for Monday, Johnson informed a different network he views 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 like an eternity,” Johnson remarked. “We need folks acting sincerely to come around the table and have that discussion. And we can’t do it during a government closure,” he added.

A prominent Democratic senator appearing on the same news program was questioned whether his party members in the Senate remain unified following three Democrats broke away to vote with Republicans. He responded expressing confidence that all party members recognize that millions and millions of their constituents are about to be priced out of their healthcare”.

“We require a leader who can act like an adult, who can come to the table and resolve to this manufactured healthcare emergency,” the senator said. “Currently this isn’t evident. 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.”