Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Marcy Kaptur

Democrat on Honoring Cassy Dornbusch on Her Retirement 2026-07-22

237 words · 17 sentences · 23 clauses

Statement grade

A–

Average 88 / 100

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

Procedure 6%The ask 9%Claims 70%Positioning 10%Thanks 4%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 10 wordsthis is not the first time I have urged Americans: ProcedureThe ask · 4 wordsPlease lower the temperature. Claims · 151 wordsPolitical extremism and dangerous divisions among Americans are still cause for serious reflection. We have seen it time and again throughout our history, and we have seen, sadly, assassination attempts on the President, on former Presidents, on lawmakers at the State and Federal level, Supreme Court Justices, Governors, ¹and many more. Last month, as the LGBTQ community celebrated Pride Month, families nationwide marked Father’s Day. We saw another escalation that compels me to raise the issue of political extremism once again. A cruel and heartless person anonymously sent a false tip to State police in Michigan in an attempt to falsely claim that former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, had abused their twin 4-year-old children.² Child Protective Services investigated competently and professionally and quickly realized that no abuse had taken place.³ That false flag proved to be a traumatic experience for the parents and their precious children alike. Procedure · 5 wordsDear Citizens of our Nation: ProcedurePositioning · 3 wordsHatred is unacceptable.Positioning Claims · 15 wordsIt is still alive and well in some corners and in some places in America. The ask · 3 wordsCall it out. Positioning · 14 wordsCruelty must not be our standard, and it should not be allowed without rebuke.Positioning Thanks · 10 wordsI am sorry the Buttigieg family had to endure it.Thanks Positioning · 7 wordsLoving families should live free of bigotry.Positioning The ask · 15 wordsWe all need to lower the political temperature. Be kind. Be kind and be soulful.

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 77

7 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 “this is not the first time I have urged Americans:”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 “Dear Citizens of our Nation:”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 “Hatred is unacceptable.”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 “Cruelty must not be our standard,”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 it should not be allowed without rebuke.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “I am sorry the Buttigieg family had to endure it.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Loving families should live free of bigotry.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. 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.

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 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.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 3

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“assassination attempts on the President, on former Presidents, on lawmakers at the State and Federal level, Supreme Court Justices, Governors”There have been assassination attempts on Presidents, former Presidents, state and federal lawmakers, Supreme Court Justices, and Governors in United States history.search
2“anonymously sent a false tip to State police in Michigan”In June 2026, an anonymous person sent a false tip to Michigan State Police falsely alleging that former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten had abused their twin 4-year-old children.search
3“Child Protective Services investigated competently and professionally and quickly realized that no abuse had taken place”Child Protective Services investigated the tip about the Buttigieg family and found no abuse had taken place.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15