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The Republican House speaker Mike Johnson asserted that the opposing party are “lacking seriousness” during talks to end the federal government shutdown, now on its fifth day and expected to last into next week or longer.

Negotiations among the opposing political parties hit a standstill during the weekend, with no votes anticipated to end the standoff. A recent poll found only 28% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans consider their party’s positions worth shutting down the government.

In his comments with a national television show, Johnson stated the House fulfilled its duties by passing a measure for government funding but now it was up to the Senate “to turn the lights back on so that everyone can do their work”. He accused Democrats with not participating “in a serious negotiation”.

“This strategy for political protection because the Senate leader is afraid that he won’t win his next re-election bid in the Senate facing a challenge from a left-wing contender from New York, because that’s the new popular thing out there,” he said, referring to a New York congresswoman potentially challenging the Senate leader for the Senate position next year.

However, the minority leader, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, responded on the same show that a GOP legislator made false statements recently when he claimed that Democrats weren’t truthful about their intentions related to medical coverage for undocumented immigrants.

“GOP members are deceitful since they’re trailing in the court of public opinion,” Jeffries stated, noting 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 in a social media post labeling Democrats the 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.

Questioned if he could still negotiate with the former president, Jeffries responded the president’s behavior “is shocking, it’s irrational, it’s unjustifiable, and is self-explanatory. The American people deserve better than falsehoods, than attacks, manipulated media and the president spending all of his time to golfing.”

Leaders of the political leadership have not had formal talks for almost a week as both seek to secure political advantage before resuming negotiations.

The minority leader mentioned following their last discussion earlier this week, “Republicans, along with the ex-president, have gone radio silent while Democratic leaders “will keep emphasizing, the Senate leader and myself, that we will sit down whenever and wherever, with anyone to address this issue with the seriousness it requires”.

The battle for high political ground persisted through Sunday with Johnson claiming that the possibility of temporary federal employee furloughs, known as furloughs, evolving into permanent dismissals “is an unfortunate circumstance that the president does not want”.

A top White House economic adviser increased pressure on Democrats, stating the administration may initiate widespread job cuts 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”. But he predicted it is possible that Democrats could back down.

“I believe all parties remain optimistic that when we get a new beginning at the beginning of the week, we can persuade the Democrats to see that it’s logical to avoid layoffs of that nature,” the official commented.

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

“In a situation like this, with Senate Democrats have decided to turn government control over to the White House, they have to make tough decisions,” he explained, referencing the management official.

The management official, Johnson said, “must now examine the entire government, acknowledging the funding streams are discontinued and determine what are essential programs, operations, and personnel. That’s not a job that he relishes. But he’s compelled 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 real issue, the medical care crisis affecting citizens. Therefore he creates false narratives to try and divert attention.”

But in an interview set to broadcast on Monday, Johnson told a different network he considers the problem of ending health subsidies – that Democrats place central in their bargaining stance – as something resolvable later.

“We essentially have three months to negotiate with the administration and in Congress, that’s like an eternity,” Johnson said. “We require participants acting sincerely to come around the table and hold those talks. And we can’t do it when the government is shut down,” he continued.

A prominent Democratic senator appearing on the same news program was asked if his party delegates in the Senate remain unified after three Democratic senators broke away to vote with Republicans. He responded expressing confidence that all party members recognize that countless of their constituents are about to be priced out to medical care”.

“We need a president who behaves maturely, who can come to the table and resolve to this manufactured healthcare emergency,” he stated. “Right now we don’t see that. We observe the ex-leader out on the golf course, we notice the House leader telling his House colleagues to skip legislative sessions, that there’s no work for the federal government to do.”