Document 93VOrQmpEKDoBQKOGvkMKqb3q

JOHNSON and ALEX ISENSTADT: ''Tillerson blows up at top White House aide," by Josh Dawsey, Eliana Johnson and Alex Isenstadt: "Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's frustrations with the White House have been building for months. Last Friday, they exploded. The normally laconic Texan unloaded on Johnny DeStefano, the head of the presidential personnel office, for torpedoing proposed nominees to senior State Department posts and for questioning his judgment. "Tillerson also complained that the White House was leaking damaging information about him to the news media, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Above all, he made clear that he did not want DeStefano's office to 'have any role in staffing' and 'expressed frustration that anybody would know better' than he about who should work in his department - particularly after the president had promised him autonomy to make his own decisions and hires, according to a senior White House aide familiar with the conversation. "The episode stunned other White House officials gathered in chief of staff Reince Priebus' office, leaving them silent as Tillerson raised his voice. In the room with Tillerson and DeStefano were Priebus, top aide Jared Kushner and Margaret Peterlin, the secretary of state's chief of staff. The encounter, described by four people familiar with what happened, was so explosive that Kushner approached Peterlin afterward and told her that Tillerson's outburst was completely unprofessional, according to two of the people familiar with the exchange, and told her that they needed to work out a solution." http://politi.co/2ukaMVf -- WHAT TRUMP IS HEATED ABOUT: "Trump rips media, mocks Pelosi at closed- door fundraiser," by Alex Isenstadt: "President Donald Trump, facing dimming approval ratings and a stalled legislative agenda, rolled out his greatest hits on Wednesday evening - ripping into CNN, assailing House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and hailing his party's string of special election wins. Before a rapt audience of 300 supporters, major GOP donors and party leaders attending the first fundraiser of his 2020 reelection campaign at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the commander in chief returned to his comfort zone. "Speaking for around 30 minutes at the closed-door event, according to two people present, the president continued to bash a favorite target - the media, and in particular CNN. Trump derided the network for errors and presented himself as a victim of their reporting, which he described as deeply unfair. At one point, the president turned his fire on one of the network's liberal commentators, Van Jones. With Republican Party benefactors in attendance, the president highlighted the special election victories - especially last week's for a Georgia congressional seat. The president poked fun at the unsuccessful Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff for not residing in the suburban Atlanta district he was running for. Ossoff, the president joked, raised over $20 million yet couldn't get an apartment in Atlanta. ... "Then there was Pelosi, who Republicans aggressively tied to Ossoff - and whose future as Democratic leader has been questioned in the wake of the Georgia race. Republicans, Trump joked, needed Pelosi to stay atop her caucus." http://politi.co/2sjG8PC -- QUICK NOTE: Do you think lambasting the House Democratic leader is a way to get to a bipartisan compromise on health care, infrastructure or, for that matter, anything? -- WHAT'S HAPPENING TO TRUMP'S AGENDA: "Beleaguered health care bill gets new terms in effort to secure votes," by Jen Haberkorn, Josh Dawsey and Burgess Everett: "Senate Republicans and the White House have agreed to add at least $45 billion to their Obamacare repeal bill to address the opioid crisis and are near agreement on allowing consumers to use Health Savings Account money to pay for their premiums, according to people familiar with the matter. The additions come as Senate Republicans are scrambling to get to 50 votes on their health care legislation. Both additions are expected to help get additional Republicans on board - opioid funding could help win over moderates and HSAs for conservatives. But there is no guarantee the language will do enough to substantially improve the bill's prospects, Republican sources said." http://politi.co/2t2J2VL -- THE NEW TIMELINE: "Republican leaders, having already delayed their Obamacare repeal vote until after the Fourth of July recess, want to come to an agreement in principle on the modified bill by the end of this week. After a score from the Congressional Budget Office - which would take up to two weeks - they hope to hold a vote." -- THE INTRAPARTY SQUABBLING: "Portman and McConnell clash over health bill: If McConnell cannot win Portman's vote, there's no way Senate Republicans will be able to repeal Obamacare," by John Bresnahan and Seung Min Kim: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rob Portman, close allies and typically mild-mannered men, got into a heated exchange over Medicaid at a meeting earlier this week.