Republican Leader Claims Opposition Party Are Not Serious About Talks while Government Shutdown Drags On

The Republican House speaker the House leader charged Democrats are “not serious” in negotiations to end the ongoing government closure, entering its fifth day and expected to last into next week or longer.

Talks between the two major parties stalled over the weekend, with no votes anticipated 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.

In his comments on a major news program, Johnson stated his chamber fulfilled its duties through approving legislation to keep the government financed and now the responsibility lies with the Senate “to restart government operations enabling federal employees to resume work”. He accused Democrats of failing to engage “in a serious negotiation”.

“This strategy for political protection since the Democratic leader fears that he won’t win his next re-election bid in the Senate because he’s going to be challenged by a progressive candidate from New York, because that’s the new popular thing out there,” he said, referring to a New York congresswoman potentially challenging the incumbent senator for the Senate position in the coming election.

But Johnson’s counterpart, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, told the same program that a GOP legislator made false statements recently by asserting Democrats were being dishonest regarding their goals concerning healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants.

“Republicans are lying because they’re losing in the court of public opinion,” Jeffries stated, and added that Democrats are “standing up for medical care of hard-working American taxpayers, for labor-class citizens, for the middle class”.

Jeffries also responded to comments from the ex-president on a social platform in which he called Democrats the party of “hate, evil, and Satan” alongside pictures of party figures, including 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 ex-president’s conduct “is shocking, it’s irrational, it’s unjustifiable, and it speaks for itself. The American people deserve better than falsehoods, hostilities, manipulated media and the president spending all of his time on the golf course.”

Leaders of the political leadership haven’t engaged in official discussions in nearly a week as both seek to secure political advantage before resuming negotiations.

Jeffries stated following their last discussion last Monday, “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 any time, any place, with anyone to resolve this matter with the earnestness that it deserves”.

The battle for high political ground persisted through Sunday as Johnson stated that the possibility of temporary federal employee furloughs, known as furloughs, evolving into permanent dismissals “is an unfortunate circumstance the administration wishes to avoid”.

A top White House economic adviser increased pressure on Democrats, stating the White House will start mass layoffs of federal workers should the leader determine discussions with the opposition are “absolutely going nowhere”.

The official stated on a national news program that the president and budget director “are preparing measures and ready to take action if they have to, but hoping to avoid it”. But he predicted there’s a chance 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, we can persuade Democrats to recognize that it’s logical to prevent job losses like that,” the official commented.

But some fear that Democrats fell into a trap. Johnson said on Sunday that the administration requested Democratic leaders to keep the government open.

“In a situation like this, with Senate Democrats choosing to hand the keys to the kingdom over to the White House, they have to make tough decisions,” he said, referencing the budget director.

The budget director, Johnson said, “has to now look at the entire government, acknowledging funding sources are discontinued and decide which programs are essential, policies, and personnel. This isn’t a task that he relishes. But he’s being required to perform it by the Democratic leader.”

The cycle of blame persisted as the Senate leader telling a news network that Johnson avoids discussing the real issue, the healthcare crisis facing the American people. So he puts up false narratives to try and divert attention.”

But in an interview scheduled for Monday, Johnson informed another news network he views the issue of expiring healthcare subsidies – that Democrats place central in their bargaining stance – as one that can be addressed later.

“We have effectively a quarter-year for discussions in the White House 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. This cannot happen during a government closure,” he continued.

A leading Senate Democrat appearing on a Sunday show was questioned whether his party members in the Senate would stay united following three Democrats defected to support GOP measures. He responded expressing confidence that all party members recognize that countless of their constituents are about to be priced out of their healthcare”.

“We require a leader who behaves maturely, who will negotiate and resolve to their self-imposed healthcare crisis,” he stated. “Right now we don’t see that. We observe the ex-leader out on the golf course, we see the speaker telling his House colleagues to skip legislative sessions, that there’s no work for the federal government to do.”