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GOP legislative leader the House leader has accused the opposing party are “not serious” during talks aimed at resolving the ongoing government closure, entering 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 indicated just 28% of Democratic voters along with 23% of GOP supporters consider their party’s positions justifies a government shutdown.

During an interview on a major news program, the speaker claimed the House had done its work by passing a measure for government funding and now the responsibility lies with the Senate “to restart government operations enabling federal employees to resume work”. He accused Democrats with not participating “in a serious negotiation”.

“They’re doing this to get political cover because the Democratic leader is afraid that he won’t win his upcoming election for Senate reelection 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 who may be looking to challenge the Senate leader for the Senate position in the coming election.

However, the minority leader, the opposition leader, told the same program that a Republican senator lied last week by asserting Democrats were being dishonest about their intentions related to medical coverage for undocumented immigrants.

“Republicans are lying because they’re losing in public support,” Jeffries said, noting his party was “standing up for medical care of hard-working American taxpayers, for labor-class citizens, of middle-class Americans”.

Jeffries also responded to remarks by the former president in a social media post in which he called Democrats the party as malicious and destructive alongside pictures of party figures, such as progressive representatives, the Democratic Senate leader, the former speaker, and the former president and first lady.

Questioned about continuing talks with the ex-leader, Jeffries said the president’s behavior “is outrageous, it’s irrational, it’s unjustifiable, and it speaks for itself. The American people deserve better 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 ahead of renewed discussions.

The minority leader mentioned that since that meeting 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 any time, any place, with anyone to resolve this matter with the earnestness that it deserves”.

The struggle for political advantage continued on Sunday as Johnson stated 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 ramped up pressure against Democrats, saying the White House will start mass layoffs of federal workers if the president decides negotiations with Democrats are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The adviser told a Sunday talk show that the president and budget director “are lining things up and ready to take action if they have to, but hoping that they don’t”. But he predicted it is possible that Democrats could back down.

“I think that everybody is still hopeful that when we get a new beginning at the beginning of the week, that we can get the Democrats to see that it’s just common sense to avoid layoffs of that nature,” the adviser said.

However, concerns exist that Democrats fell into a trap. The speaker stated Sunday that the administration had asked the Democratic leadership to maintain government operations.

“In a situation like this, with Senate Democrats have decided to turn government control to the administration, they have to make difficult choices,” he said, pointing to the budget director.

The budget director, Johnson said, “has to now look at all of the federal government, acknowledging the funding streams have been turned off and determine what are essential programs, policies, and personnel. This isn’t a task that he relishes. But he’s compelled to perform it by the Senate leader.”

The spirit of mutual recrimination continued with the Senate leader telling a news network that Johnson avoids discussing the actual problem, the healthcare crisis facing the American people. Therefore he creates all these fake lies to try and divert attention.”

But in an interview set to broadcast on Monday, Johnson told 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 essentially have a quarter-year for discussions in the White House and in Congress, that’s like an eternity,” Johnson said. “We require participants in good faith to negotiate together and hold those talks. This cannot happen 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 would stay united following three Democrats broke away to vote with Republicans. He responded he was confident that “all Democrats understand that millions and millions of their constituents risk losing access of their healthcare”.

“We require a leader who behaves maturely, 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 telling his House colleagues not to even come to session, claiming no duties for government employees.”