WASHINGTON (AP) " Lawmakers from hard-hit states such as Florida are demanding tens of billions of dollars of hurricane relief and rebuilding funds as part of another temporary Washington spending bill to keep the government from shutting down over Christmas.

Hurricane money is one of many pressing items under consideration as GOP leaders struggle to devise a party strategy to avert a government shutdown. It's plain that after a closed-door meeting of House GOP lawmakers on Wednesday that Republican leaders are having trouble coming up with a plan.

GOP aides and lawmakers say a leading idea is to pass a huge Pentagon spending bill and add to it temporary funding for non-defense Cabinet departments. That move won't fly, however, with Senate Democrats emboldened by Tuesday's surprise win in the Alabama Senate race.