Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Chuck Grassley

Republican on Protecting American Taxpayers Act 2026-07-23

330 words · 17 sentences · 21 clauses

Statement grade

Average 76 / 100

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

Claims 45%Positioning 22%Thanks 12%Procedure 5%Aside 12%Promise 4%

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

Mr. President, Claims · 17 wordsIowans are fed up with their taxpayers’ dollars being lost every year to waste, fraud, and abuse. Positioning · 21 wordsAs a watchdog for those taxpayers, I have helped lead the charge to stop brazen criminals from stealing Americans’ hard-earned dollars.Positioning Claims · 28 wordsSo that is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of my colleague from Iowa Senator Ernst’s bill.¹ That bill is entitled the ``Protecting American Taxpayers Act.’’ Thanks · 33 wordsI thank Senator Ernst so much for her hard work putting this piece of legislation together, and I also thank her for her hard work chairing the Small Business Committee of the Senate.²Thanks Procedure · 7 wordsNow to the purpose of this legislation: ProcedureClaims · 43 wordsAccording to the Government Accountability Office--GAO for short--the Federal Government loses annually anywhere between $233 billion to $521 billion to fraud.³ This comprehensive legislation cracks down on the fraudsters, protects the taxpayers’ dollars, and curbs wasteful spending. The bill includes 16 bipartisan initiatives.⁴ Aside · 38 wordsAnd I think when you talk about 16 bipartisan initiatives, that ought to tell some of our constituents that think Republicans never talk to Democrats and vice versa that that is the wrong information permeating our great country.AsideOff point Claims · 44 wordsSo the 16 bipartisan initiatives, 1 of them is my bill that I entitled ``Expanding Whistleblower Protection for Contractors Act,’’ which then expands whistleblower protections for government contractors and grantees--just like we give whistleblower protection to people that are employees of the Federal Government.⁵⁶ Positioning · 32 wordsIt is obvious we need all eyes and ears within the Federal bureaucracy to stay wide open and remove the muzzle that Federal Agencies use to intimidate patriotic whistleblowers from reporting wrongdoing.PositioningUnearned certainty Claims · 18 wordsThe bill that I am sponsoring--1 of these 16 bipartisan initiatives-- is in there to solve that problem. Positioning · 21 wordsThe U.S. Treasury is not a piggy bank for fraudsters to exploit and drain public assistance programs for their own profit.Positioning Promise · 12 wordsThis anti-fraud package will stop fraud and return money to the taxpayers.Vague promise Thanks · 5 wordsThanks again to Senator Ernst.Thanks Procedure · 11 wordsI yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 48

10 of 13 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 “As a watchdog for those taxpayers, I have helped lead the charge to stop brazen criminals from stealing Americans’ hard-earned dollars.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “I thank Senator Ernst so much for her hard work putting this piece of legislation together,”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “and I also thank her for her hard work chairing the Small Business Committee of the Senate.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Now to the purpose of this legislation:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “And I think when you talk about 16 bipartisan initiatives, that ought to tell some of our constituents that think Republicans never talk to Democrats and vice versa that that is the wrong information permeating our great country.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It is obvious we need all eyes and ears within the Federal bureaucracy to stay wide open and remove the muzzle that Federal Agencies use to intimidate patriotic whistleblowers from reporting wrongdoing.”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 “The U.S. Treasury is not a piggy bank for fraudsters to exploit and drain public assistance programs for their own profit.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “Thanks again to Senator Ernst.”Thanks: 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 yield the floor.”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 suggest the absence of a quorum.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

1 of 13 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 “And I think when you talk about 16 bipartisan initiatives, that ought to tell some of our constituents that think Republicans never talk to Democrats and vice versa that that is the wrong information permeating our great country.”The clause argues about public perceptions of bipartisan cooperation rather than the bill’s purpose or effects.

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 · 80

2 of 13 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 is obvious”Asserts a conclusion as self-evident rather than offering a source or argument.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “will stop fraud and return money to the taxpayers”A guarantee of results with no date, measure, or success condition stated.

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“I am proud to be a cosponsor”Chuck Grassley is a cosponsor of the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, sponsored by Senator Ernst.search
2“her hard work chairing the Small Business Committee of the Senate”Senator Ernst chairs the Senate Small Business Committee.search
3“the Federal Government loses annually anywhere between $233 billion to $521 billion to fraud”The GAO estimates the federal government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud.search
4“The bill includes 16 bipartisan initiatives”The Protecting American Taxpayers Act includes 16 bipartisan initiatives.search
5“my bill that I entitled ``Expanding Whistleblower Protection for Contractors Act,’’”One of the bill’s initiatives is Grassley’s bill titled the Expanding Whistleblower Protection for Contractors Act.search
6“expands whistleblower protections for government contractors and grantees”The Expanding Whistleblower Protection for Contractors Act expands whistleblower protections to government contractors and grantees.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-16