Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Jamie Raskin

Democrat 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

130 words · 9 sentences · 9 clauses

Statement grade

C–

Average 57 / 100

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

Greeting 7%Thanks 9%Positioning 27%Claims 43%Reasoning 8%Procedure 5%

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

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 9 wordsI yield myself such time as I may consume.Greeting Mr. Speaker, Thanks · 12 wordsI am moved by the remarks of the distinguished gentlewoman from Colorado.Thanks Positioning · 17 wordsIt seems to me if it doesn’t make money for the Trump family, they call it socialist.Positioning Claims · 29 wordsThat is interesting, especially when it is President Trump who is taking large pieces out of American corporations, like Intel.¹ No other American President has done anything like that. Positioning · 18 wordsHe is, obviously, the state socialist and hanging around and palling around with every communist dictator on Earth.PositioningOff pointUnearned certainty Claims · 27 wordsAgain, we have not heard a single positive argument for why we should cement for all time nine as the number of Justices on the Supreme Court. Reasoning · 11 wordsI am beginning to conclude that there simply is no argument.Logical leapUnearned certainty Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 51

5 of 12 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.

Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “I yield myself such time as I may consume.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “I am moved by the remarks of the distinguished gentlewoman from Colorado.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “It seems to me if it doesn’t make money for the Trump family, they call it socialist.”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 “He is, obviously, the state socialist and hanging around and palling around with every communist dictator on Earth.”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 reserve the balance of my time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 37

4 of 12 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 “It seems to me if it doesn’t make money for the Trump family, they call it socialist.”A partisan jab about the Trump family and socialism, unrelated to the nine-justices 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 interesting, especially when it is President Trump who is taking large pieces out of American corporations, like Intel.”Discusses President Trump’s dealings with corporations rather than 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 “No other American President has done anything like that.”A claim about presidential conduct with no bearing on 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 “He is, obviously, the state socialist and hanging around and palling around with every communist dictator on Earth.”Partisan name-calling about the President and foreign dictators, not the bill.

Reasoning · 70

1 of 12 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.

A conclusion that does not follow from the reasons given for it.What the tags mean “I am beginning to conclude that there simply is no argument.”The inference moves from not having heard an argument in this debate to that argument not existing at all.

Conclusions found · 1

Conclusion“I am beginning to conclude that there simply is no argument.”

Because“Again, we have not heard a single positive argument for why we should cement for all time nine as the number of Justices on the Supreme Court.”

Reason flawedThe inference moves from not having heard an argument in this debate to that argument not existing at all.

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 · 71

2 of 12 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 “obviously”The word asserts the characterization as self-evident in place of evidence.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “there simply is no argument”Asserts the absence of any argument as settled fact without citing or engaging a source.

Claims · 1

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 Trump who is taking large pieces out of American corporations, like Intel”search

Analyzed on 2026-09-14