Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Sara Jacobs

Democrat on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 2026-07-21

475 words · 28 sentences · 36 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 83 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Positioning 32%Procedure 2%Claims 49%Reasoning 7%Anecdote 7%The ask 3%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. Chair, Positioning · 26 wordsit is unfortunate that, once again, I am here fighting with my colleague from South Carolina to prevent her from injecting culture wars into our military.Positioning Procedure · 6 wordsLet’s clear up a few things.Procedure Positioning · 63 wordsThis amendment isn’t about the Olympics. It isn’t about the World Cup. It isn’t even about college-level athletics. It is about discriminating against kids in preschool, from preschool to high school, whose parents are serving this country. These are kids who are trying to find a place where they fit in and belong, and this amendment makes them a political and physical target.Positioning Claims · 65 wordsMilitary kids change schools frequently due to their parents’ careers.¹ They have mastered the art of saying good-bye to their new friends, their home, their routine because they do it so often. They have missed birthdays and holidays and milestones with their parent when they are deployed, and sometimes they have to grow up too soon, taking on additional responsibilities when one parent is away. Reasoning · 17 wordsWe should be doing everything we can to make sure that these kids get to be kids.Vague promise Claims · 6 wordsHowever, this amendment does the opposite. Positioning · 15 wordsIt politicizes kids who just want to play on a soccer team with their friends.Positioning Claims · 55 wordsMy colleague talks a lot about men forcing their way into girls’ locker rooms. Well, this amendment actually is about forcing men into girls’ locker rooms. It actually makes young girls more vulnerable to the likes of Larry Nassar, who would celebrate a policy like this because it makes it easier to victimize little girls. Procedure · 3 wordsThink about it: ProcedureClaims · 57 wordsActual predators will be happy about this amendment.Unearned certainty It could force any girl, especially tall, muscular, or more masculine- presenting girls to have to undergo invasive exams to prove that they are a girl. It could require girls of all ages to answer personal questions about their bodies and physical development to adults they may not know. Anecdote · 32 wordsI remember being a girl growing up, and as comfortable as I may be now talking about my period with all of you, that would be my worst nightmare in middle school, AnecdoteClaims · 23 wordsbut that is the experience we would be forcing on millions of little girls around the country; not just trans girls, all girls. Positioning · 19 wordsTalk about an invasion of little girls’ privacy. At the end of the day, what is this really accomplishing?Positioning Claims · 14 wordsThe number of trans girls in DODEA schools competing in sports is incredibly small.² Positioning · 27 wordsI bet the author of this amendment doesn’t even know of any. This isn’t a crisis, but my colleague is pretending it is to score political points.Positioning Claims · 15 wordsThe parents of these military kids serve so we can have debates in this Chamber. Reasoning · 17 wordsThe least we can do is not make their kids the collateral damage in culture war fights. Mr. Chair, The ask · 15 wordsI urge my colleagues to vote ``no,’’ and I reserve the balance of my time.

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 57

17 of 19 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “it is unfortunate that, once again, I am here fighting with my colleague from South Carolina to prevent her from injecting culture wars into our military.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Let’s clear up a few things.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “This amendment isn’t about the Olympics.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It isn’t about the World Cup.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It isn’t even about college-level athletics.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It is about discriminating against kids in preschool, from preschool to high school, whose parents are serving this country.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “These are kids who are trying to find a place where they fit in and belong,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and this amendment makes them a political and physical target.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It politicizes kids who just want to play on a soccer team with their friends.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Think about it:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I remember being a girl growing up,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “and as comfortable as I may be now talking about my period with all of you, that would be my worst nightmare in middle school,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Talk about an invasion of little girls’ privacy.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “At the end of the day, what is this really accomplishing?”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “I bet the author of this amendment doesn’t even know of any.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “This isn’t a crisis,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “but my colleague is pretending it is to score political points.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 19 deductions are Relevance

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue. Measured against the bill under debate.

Nothing lost points.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 93

2 of 19 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “everything we can”The commitment names no actor, measure, or success condition.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “Actual predators will be happy about this amendment”Asserts the reaction of unnamed third parties as fact with no source or evidence offered.

Claims · 2

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“Military kids change schools frequently due to their parents’ careers.”Children of U.S. service members change schools frequently because of their parents’ military careers.search
2“The number of trans girls in DODEA schools competing in sports is incredibly small.”The number of transgender girls competing in sports at Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) schools is very small.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15