The White House and senior lawmakers on Sunday indicated the partial government shutdown is likely to drag on into 2019, as neither side appears willing to budge over the charged issue of President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE’s border wall.

Incoming acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyOn The Money: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump's payroll tax deferral won't hurt Social Security Blockchain trade group names Mick Mulvaney to board Mick Mulvaney to start hedge fund MORE, who has been in negotiations with Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerCruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish Senate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' MORE (N.Y.), warned the stalemate could last until after New Year’s Day.

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“I don’t think things are going to move very quickly here for the next couple days. … I think it’s very possible the shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," Mulvaney told "Fox News Sunday.”

Schumer made clear in public comments Saturday, in addition to several times in the past week, that Democrats will not provide any money for Trump’s border wall, which he has bashed as ineffective and a waste of money.

Democratic Sen. Christopher Coons Christopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsMurkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates MORE (Del.) confirmed that position on Sunday, telling CBS’s “Face the Nation” there is “no path towards [Trump] getting $5 billion in American taxpayer money to meet his campaign promise of a 'big, beautiful wall' with Mexico.”

Republicans acknowledged on Sunday morning that Schumer is unlikely to give any ground and predicted that Trump probably won’t back down either until Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3.

The White House announced Saturday that Trump would cancel his Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida so he can stay in Washington for the shutdown. First lady Melania Trump Melania TrumpTrump privately blamed Black Americans for lacking initiative: report The Hill's 12:30 Report: Ginsburg lies in repose Melania Trump: Ginsburg's 'spirit will live on in all she has inspired' MORE also plans to fly back to the White House so she can spend Christmas with the president.

Mulvaney was equally adamant that the president would not reopen government without movement on funding for a wall.

“The president’s not going to not accept money for a border wall,” he said.

He added that that Democrats are unlikely to cut a deal while Rep. Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiHoyer: House should vote on COVID-19 aid — with or without a bipartisan deal Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at Supreme Court McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE (D-Calif.) faces a difficult election for Speaker next month.

Pelosi secured the votes to take the Speaker’s gavel in January by promising to step down after 2022, but she could risk support from the left by agreeing to money for the border wall.

Mulvaney noted that Democrats have scaled back their funding offer for border fencing from $1.6 billion to $1.3 billion and called it “a negotiation that seems like it’s going in the wrong direction.”

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinFeinstein 'surprised and taken aback' by suggestion she's not up for Supreme Court fight Grand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death Democrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court MORE (Ill.), the No. 2-ranking Senate Democrat, said Democrats are prepared to wait out Trump if necessary.

“It really is in the president's hands to decide,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Durbin called the standoff an attempt by Trump to ingratiate himself with the GOP’s conservative base instead of a substantive policy discussion.

“He says it's an issue of border security. I think we know better. It's an issue of his own political insecurity. When the right-wingers start screaming at him, he just backs off and dissembles in front of us,” he said.

Durbin also said there is now a "depth of dysfunction that I've never seen in Washington,” signaling that he doesn’t see a resolution anytime soon.

Sen. Pat Toomey Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyAppeals court rules NSA's bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford withdraws from consideration to chair coronavirus oversight panel GOP senators push for quick, partial reopening of economy MORE (R-Pa.), meanwhile, said Senate Republicans would have a limited role and that the talks would come down to Schumer.

He shared Mulvaney’s view that Schumer is being held back from signing off on increased border-fencing funding by Pelosi’s political situation.

“This ends up getting resolved in a negotiation between Chuck Schumer Chuck SchumerCruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish Senate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' MORE, who apparently is giving a great deal of weight to Nancy Pelosi's preferences, and the president. And between that group, they're going to decide how to go forward,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Toomey, however, offered the optimistic assessment “it probably gets resolved quickly.”

If there was any glimmer of hope Sunday morning, it was the possibility that two sides might agree on a border security number and just disagree on how to describe its purpose.

Mulvaney said the president could accept a compromise over a fence-like structure, such as a steel slat barrier, a design of which Trump tweeted out last week.

“Now, what one people call a wall and another person might call a fence,” he said.

Durbin said Democrats would be willing to support investing more in technology and border patrol personnel to tighten to limit the flow of drugs into the country.

He said experts agree that those investments are “needed desperately and quickly.”

“The president ought to be sitting down with us and making this border more secure by making investments. He'll have Democrats onboard,” he said.