The U.S. Capitol Christmas tree stands in front of the building where GOP leaders are furiously struggling to find a way to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the day Friday.

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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

After two failed attempts and just hours before the midnight deadline, House Republicans say they have reached agreement among themselves on a new government funding proposal – but numerous hurdles remain to avert a government shutdown.

After a nearly two-hour meeting with Republican members, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the conference was “united” on a plan but did not share details.

“There is unanimous agreement in the room that we need to move forward,” Johnson told reporters. “But I assume that we will continue. We will not experience a government shutdown, and we will fulfill our commitments to our farmers who need assistance, to disaster victims across the country, and to ensuring military and essential services are maintained.” and everyone who relies on the federal government for their paycheck, will be paid over the holidays.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that the package may not contain a provision to raise the debt ceiling – something President-elect Donald Trump had called for this week but ultimately helped kill a previous proposal. Scalise said, “Ultimately we will bring something to the table on the debt ceiling,” but that wouldn’t necessarily be the case in this current proposal.

The third attempt to avert a shutdown comes as House Republicans have spent the week balancing President-elect Donald Trump’s policy demands with the realities of Congress. The trouble for Johnson began when Trump and his top advisers, particularly Tesla founder Elon Musk, scuttled a bipartisan deal that collapsed soon after.

But House Republicans’ new plan was crafted without input from Democrats, and any agreement to keep the government open will need support from Democratic senators and President Biden. Johnson may also need Democratic votes to pass the measure through the House if he opts for a fast-track process that requires a higher voting threshold.

The funding conflict triggered a déjà vu experience from Trump’s first term, when he often changed his demands in real time and through surprise announcements on social media. And it highlights the challenges Republicans are likely to face over the next two years as they try to pass legislation with razor-thin majorities as Trump returns to Washington with his familiar governing style of turmoil and intraparty drama.

This is a developing story that will be updated.