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The Republican House speaker Mike Johnson has accused Democrats are “lacking seriousness” during talks to end the ongoing government closure, entering its fifth day and expected to last 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. A recent poll revealed only 28% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans consider their party’s positions justifies a government shutdown.

During an interview on a major news program, Johnson stated the House fulfilled its duties by passing a measure to keep the government financed and now the responsibility lies with the Senate “to turn the lights back on so that everyone can do their work”. He charged the opposition of failing to engage “in a serious negotiation”.

“They’re doing this for political protection because the Senate leader is afraid that he won’t win his upcoming election for Senate reelection facing a challenge by a progressive candidate from New York, because that’s the new popular thing in politics,” he said, referring to a New York congresswoman potentially challenging the Senate leader for the Senate position in the coming election.

But Johnson’s counterpart, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, told the same program that a GOP legislator lied last week when he claimed Democrats were being dishonest about their intentions related to medical coverage for immigrants without documentation.

“GOP members are deceitful because they’re losing in the court of public opinion,” Jeffries stated, noting that Democrats are “advocating for the healthcare of hard-working American taxpayers, of working-class Americans, for the middle class”.

The minority leader also addressed to comments from the ex-president on a social platform labeling the Democratic party of “hate, evil, and Satan” alongside pictures of party figures, including left-leaning lawmakers, the Senate leader, the former speaker, and the former president and first lady.

When asked if he could still negotiate with the ex-leader, Jeffries responded the ex-president’s conduct “is shocking, it’s irrational, it’s unreasonable, and it speaks for itself. The American people merit more than falsehoods, than attacks, manipulated media and the president spending all of his time on the golf course.”

Top political figures haven’t engaged in official discussions in nearly a week while both parties attempt to secure political advantage ahead of renewed discussions.

The minority leader mentioned following their last discussion earlier this week, “Republicans, including the former president, have gone radio silent while Democratic leaders “will continue to make clear, the Senate leader and myself, that we are ready to meet any time, any place, with anyone to address this issue with the earnestness it requires”.

The struggle for political advantage continued on Sunday as Johnson stated that the potential of temporary federal employee furloughs, called furloughs, evolving into permanent dismissals “is an unfortunate circumstance 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 should the leader determine negotiations with Democrats are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The adviser told a national news program that the administration “are preparing measures and getting ready to act if necessary, but hoping that they don’t”. However, he suggested there’s a chance that Democrats could back down.

“I believe all parties is still hopeful that with a new beginning at the beginning of the week, we can persuade the Democrats to see that it’s just common sense to prevent job losses like that,” the official commented.

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

“Under these circumstances, with Senate Democrats have decided to turn the keys to the kingdom over to the White House, they have to make difficult choices,” he said, pointing to the management official.

The management official, Johnson said, “must now examine all of the federal government, recognizing that funding sources are discontinued and determine which programs are essential, policies, and staff. That’s not a job that he relishes. But he’s compelled to do 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 real issue, the medical care crisis affecting citizens. So he puts up all these fake lies to distract the public.”

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

“We have effectively a quarter-year for discussions with the administration and in Congress, that’s ample time,” Johnson said. “We require participants acting sincerely to come around the table and have that discussion. And we can’t do it during a government closure,” he added.

A leading Senate Democrat appearing on a Sunday show was questioned whether his party members in the Senate would stay united after three Democratic senators defected to support GOP measures. He responded expressing confidence that all party members recognize that millions and millions 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 resolve to their self-imposed healthcare crisis,” he stated. “Right now we don’t see that. We see the former president golfing frequently, we notice the House leader instructing representatives to skip legislative sessions, claiming no duties for the federal government to do.”