Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney said Sunday a government shutdown is not a "desired end."

“I don’t think anyone is trying to get to a shutdown. It is not a desired end, it is not a tool or something that we want to have,” Mulvaney told host Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”

Mulvaney said funding for President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE's proposed wall along the Mexican border, however, is a priority.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We want our priorities funded, and one of the biggest priorities during the campaign was border security, keeping Americans safe, and part of that was a border wall,” he said.

Mulvaney expressed dismay at Democratic opposition to the wall funding, citing support for it more than a decade ago from top Democratic lawmakers such as former President Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE, who were in the Senate at the time.

“And we still don’t understand why the Democrats are so wholeheartedly against it. They voted for it in 2006, then Sen. Obama voted for it ... Clinton voted for, I don’t understand why Democrats are playing politics just because Donald Trump is in office,” he continued.

Mulvaney said officials is not sure what deal the administration would be willing to accept.

“We don’t know yet. We are asking for our priorities and importantly, and offering to give Democrats some of their priorities as well. They made it very clear they want the cost-sharing sharing reduction payments as part of ObamaCare,” Mulvaney told Wallace.

“We are willing to talk about things … that is how Washington is supposed to work and used to work until the recent past,” he continued.

When Wallace pushed Mulvaney on conceding on funding for the border wall, Mulvaney said he has no plans to negotiate the budget on live television.

"Let me put it this way, I like you and I've met you a couple of times, I'm not going to negotiate with you on national television on Sunday. We will negotiate with the Democrats."

Congress has until a midnight deadline on Friday to pass a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.