Insider report reveals stunning details about Chuck Schumer's fight to hold shutdown line

The deal that came together over the past few days to end the federal government shutdown, including extra funding for food aid and the rehiring of dismissed federal employees but no hard commitment to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, has a number of Democratic lawmakers and pundits dissatisfied, with some calling for Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to be held accountable or even to resign from leadership.

The shutdown, one of the longest in modern history, was waged over the expiration of the ACA subsidies, without which millions of people will see dramatic increases in their health care premiums for next year.

A new insider report from Axios, however, asserts that Schumer was the one to hold the caucus together as long as they were, spending weeks dissuading wavering members from caving.

"Two weeks into the shutdown, a group of moderates told Schumer they were ready to vote to open the government, according to three sources familiar with the conversation," said the report. "It's unclear if that group was big enough to end the shutdown. But Schumer persuaded the moderates to hold out until at least the beginning of November, when open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act began."

Then, per the report, "In mid-October, he made it clear to his entire caucus that he was likely to come out against the emerging bipartisan deal that a group of moderate senators were pushing."

Not all analysts were convinced by the Axios report, however, with some arguing it really just shows Schumer's limited effectiveness on whipping votes for the long term. "This story is much less helpful than Schumer's allies think it is," wrote former Barack Obama adviser and Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer.