7 Things: Showdown on funding for migrants coming, it’s Mueller time, Merrill comes out swinging and more …

7. Mobile delaying Amtrak boondoggle resolution

• The Mobile City Council on Tuesday delayed the resolution that requested Governor Kay Ivey to commit funding to bring Amtrak back to Mobile for two weeks, which is meant to allow the City Council more time to consider the proposal.
• The city officials have unanswered questions about fares and ridership for a line that will never be profitable. Councilman Joel Daves said, “I think it’s too early to move ahead with respect to this resolution asking the governor to move forward. There are too many unanswered questions.”

6. Democrats prepare for the first debate of the 2020 cycle

• Presidential hopefuls, including people with no shot, will gather over the next two days in Miami, Florida, to slug it out and argue over who the most progressive candidate is to play to the far-left base while trying to avoid turning off swing and moderate voters that they will need to win in November 2020.
• Obviously, the guy leading the 25 candidate field by double digits, former Vice President Joe Biden, will be a major target for everyone involved, but he has shown he might be invincible with recent polling showing that praising segregationists, refusing to apologize for it and switching positions he held for 40 years has not really hurt him.

5. The Alabama AG is trying to stop robocalls

• Every single day Alabamians receive robocalls from scam artists and phone number spoofers attempting to swindle people, but Attorney General Steve Marshall recently forced an actual in-state violator of the Alabama Telemarketing Act to discontinue the robocalls and reform their business practices.
• In a press release, Marshall advised Alabamians to report the robocalls they receive, saying, “You receive a robocall, do not speak or push any buttons that may let the caller know they have reached a live person and received a response. Instead, hang up and report the call”.
  

4. Iran is done

• President Donald Trump said while he hopes Iran got the warning message he sent by placing sanctions, we aren’t going to allow them to have a path to develop nuclear weapons. He also threatened the nation with “obliteration,” and when asked about if he had an exit strategy, he said, “You’re not going to need an exit strategy.”
• Trump went on to say that if Iran decided to attack the United States, they would be met with “overwhelming force.” A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Abbas Mousavi, has already said that the sanctions have permanently closed the “channel of diplomacy” between U.S. and Iran.

3. John Merrill punches up

• Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill announced his official candidacy for the 2020 U.S. Senate race on the south steps of the Alabama State Capitol in front of 150 people.
• Merrill released a campaign announcement video that took pointed jabs at some of his Republican competition and linked U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

2. Mueller will testify after all 

• Former FBI special counsel Robert Mueller has accepted an “unfriendly subpoena” and will testify before Congress on July 17, which could set up a ton of fireworks on Capitol Hill as Democrats continue to try to relitigate Mueller’s investigation and Republicans want to highlight alleged impropriety in the investigation and during the leadup.
• The idea that this hearing is going to change any minds is unlikely. Mueller seems like he is not interested in participating in this, the media and their Democrats will continue to say there is collusion and obstruction and Republicans will continue to point to the ongoing investigation into the origin of the investigation. 

1. The House passed a bill to spend more money on migrant children

• The bill that would provide $4.5 billion in funding to aid the crisis at the border was debated between House lawmakers on Tuesday, and Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) said at a press conference, “We are urging our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to show some decency.”
• The Senate has a competing bill that has border security as well. The House is apparently having none of that as Democrats make it clear that their purpose and goal on illegal immigration is open borders that allow illegal immigrants in to stay.