Document Ev3Nj8ox9eOLDDNDErvE4GX8L

threatening to undermine their negotiating position as they hash out a deal with Republicans to fund the government. Democratic negotiators, led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), are demanding the final funding bill include language to provide permanent Obamacare subsidies to help cover costs for low-income enrollees and keep insurance markets afloat. But House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D Md.), No. 2 behind Pelosi, publicly dismissed that idea Tuesday, saying the fix would be nice to have in the funding bill but should not be a requirement for supporting the legislation and should not be used as a partisan bargaining chip." http://politi.co/2p34BVM THIS SEEMS IMPORTANT -- FOGGY BOTTOM WATCH -- "Rex Tillerson Spurns Africa In Botched Meeting with African Union Chief," by Foreign Policy's Robbie Gramer: "Secretary of State Rex Tillerson invited the chairperson of the African Union to Washington for a meeting, then backed out on him at the last minute, infuriating African diplomats, several sources tell Foreign Policy. Tillerson invited African Union ... Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki to Washington the week of April 17, after Faki ended meetings at the United Nations in New York. Several sources close to the matter say Faki scheduled his trip to Washington on April 19 and 20 while waiting for the details to be sorted out. But then Tillerson's office went radio silent for several days, and left the head of the 55-nation bloc in the lurch and fuming." http://atfp.co/2pkosAj HAPPENING TODAY -- The White House is hosting a regional TV and radio tour as part of its 100-day media blitz. White House officials tell us it will include more than 105 individual interviews with senior staff and cabinet secretaries. Participants include: Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway, and Omarosa Manigault and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, SBA Administrator Linda McMahon, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, VA Secretary David Shulkin, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, and CMS Administrator Seema Verma. THE JUICE ... - - QUITE THE NIGHT AT CAFE MILANO. At separate tables last night at the newly revived Georgetown eatery: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Carly Fiorina, Liz Bourgeois of Facebook, and former Secretary of State John Kerry with birthday boy Bob Crowe of Nelson Mullins, Tom Quinn and Gerry Harrington. -- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: JAVELIN has hired ROBIN SPROUL to be its executive vice president. She starts May 2 at the D.C.-based literary, media and creative agency. Sproul is an Emmy-winning veteran journalist who was ABC's Washington bureau chief for 21 years. She will work on business development and media representation. http://bit.ly/2pkiGDd - - THE MEETING YOU WISH YOU WERE IN: VP Mike Pence secretly slipped in to talk to House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) yesterday on Capitol Hill. - - @AmyJBrittain: "Part of the U.S. taxpayer price-tag for Jared & Ivanka's vacation to Vancouver: $6,884.03 for 'multi day ski passes' for Secret Service" http://bit.ly/2q5TgWz NEW POLITICO/ MORNING CONSULT POLL -- "Poll: Border wall funding isn't worth shutdown," by Jake Sherman: "President Donald Trump's promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border isn't worth shutting down the federal government, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. Sixty-one percent of registered voters say funding a wall along the nation's southern border is 'not important enough to prompt a shutdown.' A plurality of those polled say fighting for increased funding for defense and homeland security would be worth risking a shutdown. The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll was conducted April 20-24 among 2,032 registered voters, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. "There does appear to be widespread awareness that federal funding expires Friday, with 54 percent saying they have heard some or a lot about a possible government shutdown. And 76 percent say a government shutdown would concern them." http://politi.co/2p3pSiz MORE INTERESTING DATA POINTS FOR YOU TO CHEW OVER... - - W.H. TRANSPARENCY: 51% of registered voters believe that the administration should "release the names of all people who visit the White House on government business." -- IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL: 47% said that they are more likely to support the Iran nuclear deal now that the U.S. said the nation is complying with the agreement.