Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Andy Biggs

Republican on Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to Require That the Supreme Court of the United States Be Composed of Nine Justices 2026-09-02

709 words · 48 sentences · 61 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 8%Claims 51%Reasoning 25%Positioning 11%Anecdote 2%Promise 4%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 9 wordsI yield myself such time as I may consume.Procedure Mr. Speaker, Claims · 35 wordsthe Supreme Court’s job is to tell the American people the truth about the law, even when that truth is unpopular, even when a President doesn’t like it, and even when Congress doesn’t like it. Reasoning · 8 wordsThat only works if the Court is independent. Claims · 32 wordsAlexander Hamilton expressed this in Federalist 78.¹ He explained that the courts must be insulated from the political branches or they cannot do their job of protecting the rights of the people. Reasoning · 12 wordsDisagreeing with the Supreme Court is not just legitimate. It is American. Claims · 16 wordsWe amend the Constitution, or we pass new laws. We elect Presidents who appoint different judges. Reasoning · 9 wordsThat is how you change outcomes you don’t like. Claims · 8 wordsThat is the process the Founders gave us. Positioning · 25 wordsBut there is a world of difference between changing the law and changing the rules of the game because you don’t like the last call.Positioning Claims · 33 wordsPacking the Court is not simply a policy disagreement. It is an attempt to change the structure of one of the three branches of government in order to guarantee the outcome you want. Positioning · 7 wordsThat is not reform. That is revolution.Positioning Procedure · 8 wordsHere is the question every American should ask: ProcedurePositioning · 36 wordsIf a sitting majority can change the size of the Supreme Court the moment it dislikes rulings, what happens the next time the other side is in power? What stops them from doing the same thing?Positioning Claims · 10 wordsAs Justice Breyer said, this will start an ``arms race.’’² Reasoning · 29 wordsOnce you go down that road, the Court stops being an independent check on government power. It becomes another political institution controlled by whoever happens to hold the majority. Claims · 55 wordsWe have already seen what this kind of rhetoric looks like. In 2020, Senator Schumer stood outside the Supreme Court and told Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh: ³`` . . . you have unleashed a whirlwind, ⁴and you will pay the price.’’ That was a threat, a threat that goes well beyond any normal policy disagreement.Off point Mr. Speaker, Claims · 41 words2 years later, an armed man was arrested outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home.⁵ Thankfully, law enforcement intervened before anyone was hurt. Words have consequences, and when political leaders convince people that the Supreme Court is illegitimate, some people take that rhetoric seriously. Positioning · 10 wordsSome on the left aren’t even hiding where this leads.Positioning Claims · 20 wordsThe Democratic Socialists of America now openly call for abolishing the Senate and replacing the Presidency and the Supreme Court.⁶ Procedure · 6 wordsI am not making that up.Procedure Claims · 5 wordsThat is in their platform.Off point Reasoning · 23 wordsSeeking to expand the Court is an admission that your arguments have not been good enough to persuade voters or your fellow legislators. Claims · 19 wordsWe rely on a political process, including robust one-on-one debates, to convince voters that ours are the superior plans. Reasoning · 18 wordsWhen you can no longer convince enough voters that you have the best ideas, you have two choices: Claims · 25 wordsYou can go back to voters with a better argument, or you can try to change the system so their vote doesn’t matter as much. Reasoning · 10 wordsThat is why the amendment before us is so important. Claims · 9 wordsIt fixes the number of Justices at nine permanently.⁷ Procedure · 9 wordsThat is not because nine is a magic number.Procedure Reasoning · 17 wordsIt is because a fixed Court cannot be expanded by whoever happens to win the next election. Claims · 12 wordsIt makes the rule the same regardless of who is in power. Procedure · 10 wordsTo my friends on the other side of the aisle: ProcedureClaims · 11 wordsWe don’t have to like every decision the Supreme Court makes. Anecdote · 11 wordsHeaven knows there are plenty of decisions I have disagreed with.Anecdote Procedure · 5 wordsThat is not the point.Procedure Reasoning · 54 wordsThe point is whether we are willing to live under a Constitution that limits our power even when we are the ones holding it. If we want to change the law, we can change the law, but we should not change the Supreme Court simply because we don’t like the people sitting on it. Claims · 30 wordsConstitutional government requires accepting outcomes we don’t like and fighting for change the right way: through elections, through legislation, and through the amendment process this very body is using today. Promise · 25 wordsLet’s keep the Supreme Court independent. Let’s keep it at nine Justices, and let’s keep the Constitution bigger than whoever happens to be in power. Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for
Reasons givenThis statement drew 5 conclusions and gave a reason for each one.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 77

14 of 27 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 “I yield myself such time as I may consume.”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 “But there is a world of difference between changing the law and changing the rules of the game because you don’t like the last call.”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 “That is not reform.”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 “That is revolution.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Here is the question every American should ask:”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 “If a sitting majority can change the size of the Supreme Court the moment it dislikes rulings, what happens the next time the other side is in power?”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 “What stops them from doing the same thing?”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 “Some on the left aren’t even hiding where this leads.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. 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 am not making that up.”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 “That is not because nine is a magic number.”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 “To my friends on the other side of the aisle:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “Heaven knows there are plenty of decisions I have disagreed with.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “That is not the point.”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 · 77

13 of 27 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 “We have already seen what this kind of rhetoric looks like.”Pivots to attacking rhetoric by political opponents rather than the amendment before the House.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “In 2020, Senator Schumer stood outside the Supreme Court and told Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh:”Discusses Senator Schumer’s 2020 remarks, not the nine-Justice amendment.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “`` . . . you have unleashed a whirlwind,”Quotes a Senator’s speech unrelated to 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 you will pay the price.’’”Continues the quote about a separate incident, not the amendment.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “That was a threat, a threat that goes well beyond any normal policy disagreement.”Characterizes that unrelated remark rather than addressing 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 “2 years later, an armed man was arrested outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home.”Recounts the arrest outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home, unrelated to the amendment.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Thankfully, law enforcement intervened before anyone was hurt.”Continues the Kavanaugh anecdote rather than the bill’s content.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Words have consequences,”General point about rhetoric, not the amendment fixing the Court at nine.
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 when political leaders convince people that the Supreme Court is illegitimate, some people take that rhetoric seriously.”Commentary on political leaders’ rhetoric, not the bill before the House.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Some on the left aren’t even hiding where this leads.”Pivots to attacks on the left rather than the amendment’s provisions.
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 Democratic Socialists of America now openly call for abolishing the Senate and replacing the Presidency and the Supreme Court.”Criticizes the DSA platform, which is not 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 “I am not making that up.”Emphasizes the DSA point rather than addressing the amendment.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “That is in their platform.”Concludes the DSA digression without returning to the bill’s content.

Reasoning · 100

0 of 27 deductions are Reasoning

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

Nothing lost points.

Conclusions found · 5

Conclusion“That is revolution.”

Because“Packing the Court is not simply a policy disagreement.”

“It is an attempt to change the structure of one of the three branches of government in order to guarantee the outcome you want.”

Reason given
Conclusion“That is why the amendment before us is so important.”

Because“It fixes the number of Justices at nine permanently.”

“It is because a fixed Court cannot be expanded by whoever happens to win the next election.”

“It makes the rule the same regardless of who is in power.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Let’s keep the Supreme Court independent.”

Because“That only works if the Court is independent.”

“He explained that the courts must be insulated from the political branches or they cannot do their job of protecting the rights of the people.”

“Once you go down that road, the Court stops being an independent check on government power.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Let’s keep it at nine Justices,”

Because“It fixes the number of Justices at nine permanently.”

“It is because a fixed Court cannot be expanded by whoever happens to win the next election.”

“It makes the rule the same regardless of who is in power.”

Reason given
Conclusion“and let’s keep the Constitution bigger than whoever happens to be in power.”

Because“It makes the rule the same regardless of who is in power.”

“The point is whether we are willing to live under a Constitution that limits our power even when we are the ones holding it.”

“Constitutional government requires accepting outcomes we don’t like and fighting for change the right way:”

Reason given

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 27 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 · 7

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“Alexander Hamilton expressed this in Federalist 78”search
2“Justice Breyer said, this will start an ``arms race.’’”search
3“In 2020, Senator Schumer stood outside the Supreme Court and told Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh”search
4“`` . . . you have unleashed a whirlwind, ”search
5“2 years later, an armed man was arrested outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home”search
6“The Democratic Socialists of America now openly call for abolishing the Senate and replacing the Presidency and the Supreme Court”search
7“It fixes the number of Justices at nine permanently”search

Analyzed on 2026-09-14