They're nearing a deal on financial reform but Republicans said a bill won't come as soon as Democratic leaders said they had hoped, U. S. Senate negotiators have said.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, "If we keep working together, we'll get a bill. It might be this week. It might be next week."

The Senate had been scheduled to vote Monday on whether to proceed to a debate on financial reform.

Though Republicans have said that they would not vote to move the legislation forward now but Shelby said he was hopeful about prospects for an agreement.

He said, "We're closer than we've ever been."

They would keep working Sunday on a deal on financial reform, Shelby and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., also appearing on NBC, said.

Dodd said, "This doesn't end the debate tomorrow. This begins debate. I hope tomorrow we can get those votes. We may not. But I hope we do, because we need to move forward. Tomorrow, if another (financial) crisis occurred in the country, we're no better off than we were in the fall of 2008."

A deal would come, but not by Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on "Fox News Sunday."

He further added, "We don't have a bipartisan compromise yet, but I think there's a good chance that we're going to get it."

"This Week" Republicans would withhold support until they reached agreement with Democrats on key issues, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a negotiator on the reform bill, said on ABC's.

While stressing the need for oversight of derivatives, more consumer protection and "orderly liquidation" of failing banks, he said "We don't need to address every issue in this compromise." (With Inputs from Agencies)