← Back to the statement
Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance, Reasoning and Clarity is 66. The grade is held to 54, 30 above Relevance. Reasoning rests on one conclusion, too few to hold the grade down. 54 / 100, held down by Relevance
Signal
55 / 100
View details Viewing ↓
Relevance
24 / 100
View details Viewing ↓
Reasoning
87 / 100
View details Viewing ↓
Respect
–
Not scored Viewing ↓
Clarity
100 / 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.
Procedure 20% Positioning 17% Claims 55% Aside 6% Reasoning 2%
Structure · 20 steps
Claims · 5
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 9 words I yield myself such time as I may consume. Procedure Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 17 words I will try to answer the interesting questions raised by my distinguished colleague, Mr. Jordan, in seriatim. Procedure Positioning · 39 words First of all, anything that we do to try to improve the fortunes and the well-being of the American people, our colleagues call socialist. They call Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid socialist. That is just water off our back. Positioning Claims · 42 words The President talks about communists. The only communists on Earth today are his best friends and his role models, like Kim Jong-un, who he writes love letters to, and President Xi, who he has praised more than two dozen times in public.1 Positioning · 12 words How about Vladimir Putin, who he follows around like a puppy dog? Positioning Claims · 7 words Vladimir Putin was head of the KGB.2 Positioning · 16 words If there is a problem with communism, it is over on that side of the aisle. Positioning Claims · 53 words The gentleman legitimately asked the question: Why did the former chair of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Nadler, advocate for an increase of four seats on the Supreme Court--which we are not debating today?3 Off point What we are debating is whether Congress should have the power to do anything, to increase or reduce the size. Procedure · 24 words He asked about that. It is a legitimate question. I will tell you exactly why. The gentleman may be unfamiliar with the history here, Procedure Claims · 32 words but Congress has traditionally linked the number of Justices on the Court to the number of Federal circuits. We have 13 Federal circuits.4 His proposal was to go from 9 to 13.5 Aside · 23 words Even the gentleman’s beloved Ninth Circuit--which I think he is supposed to be representing in some sense--would be represented on the Supreme Court. Aside Claims · 17 words We could have one Justice from each Federal circuit. That is what circuit riding was all about. Reasoning · 9 words You don’t need some conspiracy theory to explain it. Claims · 14 words He was very overt about why he wanted to go from 9 to 13, Procedure · 6 words which we could discuss another day. Procedure Off point Claims · 53 words Here the question is whether we should nullify, obviate, and destroy our own power to decide who should be on the Court. Still, the gentleman has not offered one single argument explaining why the number nine should be magic other than it cements into place all the decisions of this rightwing Roberts Court. Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 24 words I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government. Procedure
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×25 Procedure ×9 Positioning ×6 Aside
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 55
16 of 41 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.
Procedure 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.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I will try to answer the interesting questions raised by my distinguished colleague, Mr. Jordan, in seriatim.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “First of all, anything that we do to try to improve the fortunes and the well-being of the American people, our colleagues call socialist.” 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 → “They call Social Security, Medicare,” 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 Medicaid socialist.” 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 → “That is just water off our back.” 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 → “How about Vladimir Putin, who he follows around like a puppy dog?” 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 → “If there is a problem with communism, it is over on that side of the aisle.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “He asked about that.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “It is a legitimate question.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I will tell you exactly why.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “The gentleman may be unfamiliar with the history here,” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Aside A remark off to the side of the point. What the tags mean → “Even the gentleman’s beloved Ninth Circuit--which I think he is supposed to be representing in some sense--would be represented on the Supreme Court.” An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “which we could discuss another day.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “Scanlon), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 24
25 of 41 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 → “First of all, anything that we do to try to improve the fortunes and the well-being of the American people, our colleagues call socialist.” Partisan aside about how colleagues label legislation, not about the amendment.
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 → “They call Social Security, Medicare,” Continues the aside about what opponents call socialist, unrelated to the nine-justice 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 Medicaid socialist.” Same aside about socialist labeling, 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 → “That is just water off our back.” Dismissive aside about the labeling, not addressing the amendment.
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 talks about communists.” Pivots to the President’s rhetoric about communists, off 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 → “The only communists on Earth today are his best friends and his role models, like Kim Jong-un, who he writes love letters to,” Attack on the President’s associations, not about the amendment.
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 President Xi, who he has praised more than two dozen times in public.” Further criticism of the President’s praise of Xi, 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 → “How about Vladimir Putin, who he follows around like a puppy dog?” Criticism of the President’s relations with Putin, off 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 → “Vladimir Putin was head of the KGB.” Point about Putin’s KGB background, not the amendment.
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 → “If there is a problem with communism, it is over on that side of the aisle.” Partisan jab at the other side of the aisle, not about 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 → “The gentleman legitimately asked the question:” Frames the colleague’s question about Nadler’s proposal, a different measure.
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 → “Why did the former chair of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Nadler, advocate for an increase of four seats on the Supreme Court--which we are not debating today?” Takes up Nadler’s four-seat increase, which the clause itself says is not what is being debated.
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 → “He asked about that.” Confirms the question addressed was Nadler’s plan, not 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 → “It is a legitimate question.” Endorses the colleague’s question about Nadler’s plan rather than the nine-justice amendment.
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 → “I will tell you exactly why.” Promises an explanation of Nadler’s proposal, a measure not 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 gentleman may be unfamiliar with the history here,” Opens the history supporting Nadler’s 13-Justice plan rather than 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 → “but Congress has traditionally linked the number of Justices on the Court to the number of Federal circuits.” Historical point about Justices linked to circuits, offered for a different proposal.
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 → “We have 13 Federal circuits.” Figure about the number of circuits serving the Nadler proposal, not this 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 → “His proposal was to go from 9 to 13.” Describes the 9-to-13 plan, which is not the amendment being debated.
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 → “Even the gentleman’s beloved Ninth Circuit--which I think he is supposed to be representing in some sense--would be represented on the Supreme Court.” Riff on the Ninth Circuit under the 13-Justice plan, 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 → “We could have one Justice from each Federal circuit.” Details the one-Justice-per-circuit design of a different proposal.
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 → “That is what circuit riding was all about.” Historical aside about circuit riding tied to the other proposal.
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 → “You don’t need some conspiracy theory to explain it.” Comment on motives for the 9-to-13 plan, not the amendment.
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 → “He was very overt about why he wanted to go from 9 to 13,” Continues about the 9-to-13 plan rather than 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 we could discuss another day.” Defers discussion of the other plan to another day, leaving the question of a different measure.
Reasoning · 87
0 of 41 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 · 1
Conclusion “and destroy our own power to decide who should be on the Court.”
Because “Still, the gentleman has not offered one single argument explaining why the number nine should be magic other than it cements into place all the decisions of this rightwing Roberts Court.”
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 41 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 · 5
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 “President Xi, who he has praised more than two dozen times in public” search 2 “Vladimir Putin was head of the KGB” search 3 “the former chair of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Nadler, advocate for an increase of four seats on the Supreme Court” search 4 “We have 13 Federal circuits” search 5 “His proposal was to go from 9 to 13” search
