🔗 Share this article

The Republican House speaker the House leader charged Democrats are “lacking seriousness” in negotiations to end the federal government shutdown, entering its fifth day and expected to last through next week or beyond.

Negotiations among the two major parties hit a standstill during the weekend, and no legislative action expected to resolve the impasse. Survey data indicated only 28% of Democrats along with 23% of GOP supporters believe their party’s stance justifies a government shutdown.

In his comments with a national television show, the speaker claimed his chamber fulfilled its duties by passing a measure for government funding and now the responsibility lies with the Senate “to restart government operations so that everyone can do their work”. He charged the opposition with not participating “in a serious negotiation”.

“They’re doing this to get political cover since the Democratic leader fears losing his next re-election bid in the Senate because he’s going to be challenged by a progressive candidate from New York, as this is becoming trendy out there,” he said, referring to the Bronx representative potentially challenging the Senate leader for his seat 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 regarding their goals concerning healthcare benefits for immigrants without documentation.

“GOP members are deceitful because they’re losing in the court of public opinion,” Jeffries said, noting that Democrats are “standing up for the healthcare for American workers, of working-class Americans, of middle-class Americans”.

The minority leader also addressed to comments from the ex-president in a social media post labeling the Democratic party as malicious and destructive accompanied by images of prominent Democrats, such as left-leaning lawmakers, the Senate leader, the previous House speaker, and the ex-president and his wife.

When asked if he could still negotiate with the ex-leader, Jeffries said the president’s behavior “is shocking, it’s unhinged, it’s unjustifiable, and is self-explanatory. Citizens merit more than falsehoods, hostilities, 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, along with the ex-president, have ceased communication while Democratic leaders “will continue to make clear, both the Senate leader and I, that we will sit down whenever and wherever, with anyone to address this issue with the seriousness that it deserves”.

The battle for high political ground continued on Sunday with Johnson claiming that the potential of temporary federal employee furloughs, known as furloughs, hardening into permanent job layoffs “is a regrettable situation the administration wishes to avoid”.

A top White House economic adviser increased pressure on Democrats, stating the administration may initiate widespread job cuts of federal workers if the president decides negotiations with Democrats are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The adviser told a Sunday talk show that the administration “are lining things up and ready to take action if they have to, but hoping to avoid it”. However, he suggested it is possible that Democrats might compromise.

“I think that everybody is still hopeful that when we get a fresh start early this week, that we can get Democrats to recognize that it’s logical to prevent job losses of that nature,” the official commented.

However, concerns exist Democrats have walked into a trap. Johnson said on Sunday that the president requested Democratic leaders to keep the government open.

“Under these circumstances, where the Senate Democrats choosing to hand the keys to the kingdom to the administration, they have to make difficult choices,” he explained, referencing the budget director.

The budget director, Johnson said, “must now examine the entire government, acknowledging the funding streams have been turned off and determine what are essential programs, policies, and staff. This isn’t a task he enjoys. But he’s being required to do it by the Senate leader.”

The cycle of blame continued with the Senate leader stating on television Johnson “doesn’t want to discuss the actual problem, the medical care crisis facing the American people. So he puts up all these fake lies to try and divert attention.”

But in an interview scheduled for Monday, Johnson informed a different network he views the issue of expiring healthcare subsidies – that Democrats place central in their bargaining stance – as something resolvable later.

“We have effectively 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 during a government closure,” he continued.

A leading Senate Democrat also speaking to a Sunday show was questioned if his party delegates in the Senate would stay united following three Democrats broke away to vote with Republicans. He responded he was confident that all party members recognize that millions and millions of their voters risk losing access of their healthcare”.

“We require a leader who can act like an adult, who will negotiate and negotiate an end to their self-imposed healthcare crisis,” the senator said. “Right now we don’t see that. We observe the ex-leader out on the golf course, we see the speaker instructing representatives to skip legislative sessions, claiming no duties for government employees.”