Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Gabe Vasquez

Democrat on War in Iran Is Impacting New Mexicans 2026-09-03

208 words · 15 sentences · 21 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 82 / 100

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

Procedure 12%Positioning 21%Claims 66%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 22 wordsI rise today to put in the simplest of terms how the President’s war in Iran is impacting New Mexicans. Exhibit A: ProcedurePositioning · 5 wordsthe pain at the pump.Positioning Claims · 13 wordsThis time last year, New Mexicans paid over a dollar less per gallon.¹ Mr. Speaker, Claims · 55 wordsNew Mexico is a big State. We have to drive hours just to see family, go to work, or see the closest doctor. A lot of us drive trucks and diesels. New Mexico is a truck State. It now costs nearly $200 to drive a truck from one end of my district to the other.² Procedure · 4 wordsLet’s think about that.Procedure Claims · 5 wordsA round trip is $400. Positioning · 4 wordsWho can afford that?Positioning Claims · 38 wordsThat is more than the cost of a plane ticket. Trump’s illegal war is costing the average New Mexican about $81 more in gas each month alone. $81 may not mean much to Wall Street brokers or investors, ³Positioning · 12 wordsbut it sure as hell does mean a lot to working-class families.Positioning Claims · 17 wordsThat is a week of groceries, a month’s electric bill, or three tickets to the Isotopes game. Positioning · 23 wordsAs folks head to the grocery store to stock up for Labor Day, they have one thought: These prices are too damn high, PositioningClaims · 10 wordsand that extra $81 a month is a big problem.

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 64

8 of 8 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 rise today to put in the simplest of terms how the President’s war in Iran is impacting New Mexicans.”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 “Exhibit A:”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 “the pain at the pump.”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 “Let’s think about that.”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 “Who can afford that?”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 “but it sure as hell does mean a lot to working-class families.”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 “As folks head to the grocery store to stock up for Labor Day, they have one thought:”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 “These prices are too damn high,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

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 8 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 · 3

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“This time last year, New Mexicans paid over a dollar less per gallon”New Mexicans paid over a dollar less per gallon of gasoline in September 2025 than in September 2026.search
2“It now costs nearly $200 to drive a truck from one end of my district to the other”It currently costs nearly $200 to drive a truck across New Mexico’s 2nd congressional district.search
3“costing the average New Mexican about $81 more in gas each month alone”The war in Iran is costing the average New Mexican about $81 more in gasoline each month.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-16