← Back to the statement
Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance and Clarity. Average 72 / 100
Signal
67 / 100
View details Viewing ↓
Relevance
52 / 100
View details Viewing ↓
Respect
–
Not scored Viewing ↓
Clarity
98 / 100
View details Viewing ↓
A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.
Greeting 3% Claims 22% Reasoning 42% Anecdote 16% Positioning 12% Promise 5%
Structure · 10 steps
Claims · 2
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 10 words welcome back. It has been a wild ride this Congress. Greeting Claims · 49 words After 5 weeks of being out for the August district work period, a war is raging in the Middle East; the economy is in shambles; Unearned certainty working people of this country cannot afford food, housing, and healthcare; the President is raiding the Venezuelan oil reserves and lining his own pockets; Reasoning · 35 words and what are we doing on the House floor after 5 weeks of break? Off point We are hearing bills to basically gut environmental protections, including protections for one of the most endangered species on planet Earth. Anecdote · 50 words Just a few years ago before my mother passed away, I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore, and on that day, which was an unusually warm day, we went down to the beach, and there were literally hundreds of right whales right off the shore. Anecdote Claims · 19 words Today there are 380 right whales still in existence on planet Earth.1 Only 70 are considered able to breed.2 Off point Reasoning · 96 words What is before us today is a decision about whether or not to let one of God’s great creatures continue to exist on planet Earth. With all of the things that are happening in this world and in this country, this body under this Republican majority is choosing to advance a bill on the first day we come back in the middle of global turmoil and economic chaos to decide whether or not a species that has existed on this planet longer than the United States has even been an idea should be able to continue. Positioning · 39 words It is disgraceful. The American people did not send us here to gut environmental laws. The American people sent us here to save our democracy, to defend our institutions, and to ensure that they can get a fair shake. Positioning Off point Mr. Speaker, Promise · 16 words I rise to oppose this bill, and I will vote it down on the floor today.
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×15 Anecdote ×4 Positioning ×4 Greeting ×2 Unearned certainty
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 67
10 of 26 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.
Greeting Greetings and pleasantries. What the tags mean → “welcome back.” A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Greeting Greetings and pleasantries. What the tags mean → “It has been a wild ride this Congress.” A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “Just a few years ago before my mother passed away, I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore,” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “and on that day,” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “which was an unusually warm day, we went down to the beach,” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “and there were literally hundreds of right whales right off the shore.” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “It is disgraceful.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “The American people did not send us here to gut environmental laws.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “The American people sent us here to save our democracy, to defend our institutions,” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “and to ensure that they can get a fair shake.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 52
15 of 26 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.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “After 5 weeks of being out for the August district work period, a war is raging in the Middle East;” A catalogue of world and national events unrelated to the mining or lobster bills before the House.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “the economy is in shambles;” A general claim about the economy, not about the legislation under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “working people of this country cannot afford food, housing,” Speaks to affordability of food and housing, not the bill’s permitting provisions.
Off point 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 healthcare;” Continues the healthcare affordability point, unrelated to the bills before the House.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “the President is raiding the Venezuelan oil reserves and lining his own pockets;” An accusation about the President and Venezuelan oil, unrelated to the legislation.
Off point 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 what are we doing on the House floor after 5 weeks of break?” A rhetorical complaint about the House agenda rather than anything about the bill’s contents.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Just a few years ago before my mother passed away, I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore,” A personal recollection about Cape Cod, not about the mining permitting bill.
Off point 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 on that day,” Continues the personal beach anecdote, not the bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “which was an unusually warm day, we went down to the beach,” Continues the anecdote’s details, not the bill.
Off point 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 there were literally hundreds of right whales right off the shore.” Continues the whale sighting story, not the mining bill’s provisions.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Today there are 380 right whales still in existence on planet Earth.” Right whale population figures bear on the lobster bill’s subject matter, not the mining bill being addressed here.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Only 70 are considered able to breed.” Further right whale breeding statistics, off the mining bill under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “The American people did not send us here to gut environmental laws.” A general political claim about what the American people want, not the bill’s substance.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “The American people sent us here to save our democracy, to defend our institutions,” A political statement about democracy and institutions unrelated to the bill.
Off point 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 to ensure that they can get a fair shake.” Continues the general political point rather than the bill’s content.
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 · 98
1 of 26 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.
Unearned certainty Something stated as certain with nothing to back it. What the tags mean → “the economy is in shambles” A sweeping characterization asserted with no figure or source, where a checkable claim could have been made.
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 “there are 380 right whales still in existence on planet Earth” There are 380 North Atlantic right whales in existence today. search 2 “Only 70 are considered able to breed” Only 70 of the remaining right whales are considered able to breed. search
