Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Burgess Owens

Republican on Honoring the Long Family 2026-07-22

189 words · 12 sentences · 16 clauses

Statement grade

63 / 100, held down by Signal

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

Greeting 12%Claims 21%Thanks 53%The ask 14%

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

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 23 wordsI rise today to honor a beloved Utah family whose lives were lost this past week in a flash flood in Wayne County.¹Greeting Claims · 39 wordsProvo Fire Captain Spencer Long; ²his wife, Katrina; ³and their three sons, Reid, Thayne, ⁴and Gage, were camping when they were caught in floodwaters.⁵ They are survived by their daughter and sister, Lydia, who now faces this unimaginable loss.⁶ Mr. Speaker, Thanks · 85 wordsthe Longs are among the very best Utah has to offer. Utahns mourn together. No words will adequately express the profound loss that Lydia is now experiencing. On behalf of Utah, we offer our deepest condolences to her, Provo Fire & Rescue, the city of Mona, and all those who loved the Longs. To many, the thought of continuing without them is unimaginable. Yet, we hold fast in the Heavenly Father’s promise that the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart.Thanks Mr. Speaker, Thanks · 16 wordstoday we pray that His presence be especially near Lydia and all of those who mourn.Thanks Mr. Speaker, The ask · 26 wordsI ask you to join me in a moment of silence. For Lydia and those who mourn the Longs’ passing, may God bless and comfort you.

At a glance

Lost points for
Little substanceMuch of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 33

9 of 9 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.

Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “I rise today to honor a beloved Utah family whose lives were lost this past week in a flash flood in Wayne County.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “the Longs are among the very best Utah has to offer.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “Utahns mourn together.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “No words will adequately express the profound loss that Lydia is now experiencing.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “On behalf of Utah, we offer our deepest condolences to her, Provo Fire & Rescue, the city of Mona,”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “and all those who loved the Longs.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “To many, the thought of continuing without them is unimaginable.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “Yet, we hold fast in the Heavenly Father’s promise that the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “today we pray that His presence be especially near Lydia and all of those who mourn.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Reasoning · no score

No score: nothing is concluded. Excluded from the average.

Reasoning checks for sound logic and solid support for any conclusion. A low score means the speaker made unsupported leaps or used weak arguments.

Conclusions found · 0

None: nothing is concluded.

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 · 100

0 of 9 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.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 6

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“a beloved Utah family whose lives were lost this past week in a flash flood in Wayne County”Members of the Long family of Utah died in a flash flood in Wayne County the week before July 22, 2026.search
2“Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long”Spencer Long was a captain with Provo Fire.search
3“his wife, Katrina”Spencer Long’s wife was named Katrina.search
4“their three sons, Reid, Thayne”Spencer and Katrina Long had three sons, named Reid, Thayne, and Gage.search
5“were camping when they were caught in floodwaters”The Long family was camping when they were caught in the floodwaters.search
6“survived by their daughter and sister, Lydia”The Long family is survived by a daughter and sister named Lydia.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15