Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Glenn Grothman

Republican on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 2026-07-22

164 words · 12 sentences · 12 clauses

Statement grade

Average 78 / 100

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

Procedure 7%Claims 88%Reasoning 5%

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

Mr. Chair, Procedure · 4 wordsjust one final comment.Procedure Claims · 127 wordsWe didn’t say we were going to reduce the workforce by 200,000. We were going to say what happens if we try to do it. I do believe if you get around here and ask people, they will give you anecdotal evidence of people working for a very short period of time. As far as already dealing with this, there was a buyout. As I mentioned, they bought out several employees who they shouldn’t have bought out. Right now, we have reduced the workforce by about 65,000.¹ Again, I think if you ask people in this town, it will not be hard to find people who feel people working in the Federal agencies are not doing a lot.Unearned certainty I know that is true in the private sector. Reasoning · 9 wordsIt is certainly more likely to be true here.Off pointUnearned certainty Mr. Chair, Claims · 17 wordsI am a little bit shocked that we won’t even allow the Department to do a study. Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 93

2 of 7 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.

Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “just one final comment.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I reserve the balance of my time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 67

3 of 7 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.

Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Again, I think if you ask people in this town, it will not be hard to find people who feel people working in the Federal agencies are not doing a lot.”Anecdotal claim that federal employees are idle is political commentary, not discussion of any provision of the bill.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “I know that is true in the private sector.”A comparison to the private sector drifts away from the defense bill entirely.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “It is certainly more likely to be true here.”A general assertion about federal workers that addresses no provision of the bill.

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 · 73

2 of 7 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.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “it will not be hard to find people”Asserts ease of finding supportive opinion in place of any source.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “It is certainly more likely to be true here”The word ‘certainly’ asserts a likelihood with no source offered.

Claims · 1

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“we have reduced the workforce by about 65,000”The federal workforce has been reduced by about 65,000 employees.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15