A group of moderate Senate Democrats told Minority Leader Chuck Schumer two weeks into the shutdown they were ready to vote to open the government, according to three sources familiar with the conversation.

Why it matters: Democrats are blaming Schumer (D-N.Y.) for not prolonging the shutdown (see item No. 2). In reality, it could have been much shorter.

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

Zoom in: At the very beginning of the shutdown, Schumer was put on notice that a group of moderate Democrats didn't want to pick the government shutdown fight in the first place.

• "We let him know what we were doing," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who led the bipartisan talks to find a compromise.
• Asked if she ever felt Schumer was working against her compromise package, Shaheen declined to comment.
• "I don't really want to get into the private discussions we had," she told reporters this afternoon.

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— Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols

Go deeper: MoveOn is calling on Schumer to step aside, as we first reported tonight.

• The group said that "some Senate Democrats, under Leader Schumer's watch, decided to surrender."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told members on a private call today to keep the focus on health care and not on "a few individuals in the Senate," according to three lawmakers on the call.

Why it matters: Over a dozen House Democrats spoke on the call, with the vast majority slamming the deal, sources told us.

• Roughly half of those who spoke on today's call either directly criticized Schumer or did so implicitly by agreeing with previous speakers who tore into him, sources said.
• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that either the Senate leader "can't control his caucus," or he "gave his blessing" to the deal.
• A Schumer spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zoom in: Jeffries stood by Schumer at a press conference today, saying he and "the overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats ... have waged a valiant fight" these last weeks.

• When asked by reporters whether he believes Schumer is effective and should remain as Senate Democratic leader, Jeffries replied, "Yes and yes."

The bottom line: Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said the public is incensed at what they see as Democrats caving on the shutdown fight, telling her colleagues, "People are f**king pissed."

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— Andrew Solender

A ballooning list of member-driven fights will test Speaker Mike Johnson's grip on the conference when House lawmakers return as soon as this week.

Why it matters: The House hasn't voted since Sept. 19, when it was sent to recess after passing a government funding bill.

• "There will be long days and long nights here for the foreseeable future," Johnson told reporters this morning.
• His most immediate task, reopening the government, appears to have enough votes to sail through the chamber despite widespread Democratic opposition.

Zoom in: "Everything that we haven't been able to do this month, we will do," a House Republican familiar with leadership conversations said in October.

• Epstein files: Johnson will have to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who's said she'll be the decisive signature on a discharge petition to release all DOJ files related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That will tee up a vote for early December.
• Stock trading ban: Johnson will also be under pressure to advance Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's (R-Fla.) bill to ban members of Congress from trading stock. Luna posted on X last night that Johnson notified her that her bill would be marked up in committee, allowing her to back off her discharge petition threat.
• ACA tax credits: House Democrats and some GOP moderates want a vote on extending the ACA tax credits. Some House Republicans have compromise bills, but conservatives oppose extending the subsidies. Johnson won't commit to holding a vote in the House, he said today.

— Kate Santaliz

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is open to income caps on ACA premium tax credits and looking into potential "fraud" in the program set to expire at the end of the year, she told reporters today.

Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised Democrats a vote on health care by mid-December, as part of a deal to start the process of reopening the government.

• That gives negotiators like Shaheen the next few weeks to find a compromise before insurance premiums rise for 22 million Americans in 2026.

Zoom in: Shaheen, fresh off her success in clearing a path to end the government shutdown, smells another deal.

• But first, her party needs to decide whether they want a political issue or a policy win, she said.
• "A cap on income and who can benefit from the premium tax credits? I mean, that's legitimate. 94% of people earn $200,000 or less. We ought to be able to cap it at that," she said.
• "They want to address fraud and abuse measures," she said. "I think we're all opposed to having people benefit if they shouldn't, and to getting fraud out of the system."

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— Hans Nichols and Peter Sullivan