Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

James R. Walkinshaw

Democrat on Ulysses S. Grant Post Office Building 2026-07-13

321 words · 17 sentences · 20 clauses

Statement grade

A+

Average 97 / 100

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

Procedure 5%Aside 4%Claims 82%The ask 9%

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, Aside · 12 wordssome of my Virginia ancestors are rolling over in their graves today, AsideClaims · 264 wordsbut I am very happy to be here to speak in support of H.R. 7809 to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 East Grant Avenue in Georgetown, Ohio, as the Ulysses S. Grant Post Office Building. Ulysses S. Grant was an American hero who helped lead the United States Army to victory against the Confederacy in the Civil War before serving as President of the United States.¹ After graduating from West Point, Grant served in the Mexican- American war under the leadership of General Zachary Taylor, who would later become the 12th President of the United States.² Grant initially resigned from the Army in 1854, ³but at the outbreak of the Civil War, he served as commander of a volunteer regiment and was quickly promoted to brigadier general.⁴ Throughout the war, he fought and won numerous battles. His victories included the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and the defeat of rebel forces at Shiloh and Vicksburg.⁵ As the war progressed, his military leadership played an instrumental role in enforcing President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and advancing the United States’ commitment to ending slavery. In March 1864, President Lincoln designated Grant as the general-in- chief of the U.S. Army Forces, ultimately leading to a Union victory in April 1865 with the surrender of Confederate General Lee at Appomattox in Virginia.⁶⁷ After the war, Ulysses S. Grant served two terms as President of the United States.⁸ During his time in office, he pushed forward the Reconstruction agenda, advocating for civil rights and protection from political violence for Black Americans. The ask · 29 wordsI encourage my colleagues to join us in honoring the life and legacy of President Grant by naming this post office in his hometown of Georgetown, Ohio, after him. 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 · 90

3 of 3 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.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “some of my Virginia ancestors are rolling over in their graves today,”An aside: 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 · 100

0 of 3 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.

Nothing lost points.

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 3 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 · 8

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“helped lead the United States Army to victory against the Confederacy in the Civil War before serving as President of the United States”Ulysses S. Grant helped lead the United States Army to victory over the Confederacy in the Civil War and later served as President of the United States.search
2“After graduating from West Point, Grant served in the Mexican- American war under the leadership of General Zachary Taylor, who would later become the 12th President of the United States”After graduating from West Point, Ulysses S. Grant served in the Mexican-American War under General Zachary Taylor, who later became the 12th President of the United States.search
3“Grant initially resigned from the Army in 1854”Ulysses S. Grant resigned from the U.S. Army in 1854.search
4“at the outbreak of the Civil War, he served as commander of a volunteer regiment and was quickly promoted to brigadier general”At the start of the Civil War, Grant commanded a volunteer regiment and was soon promoted to brigadier general.search
5“the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and the defeat of rebel forces at Shiloh and Vicksburg”Grant’s Civil War victories included the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and defeats of Confederate forces at Shiloh and Vicksburg.search
6“In March 1864, President Lincoln designated Grant as the general-in- chief of the U.S. Army Forces”In March 1864, President Lincoln named Grant general-in-chief of the U.S. Army Forces.search
7“leading to a Union victory in April 1865 with the surrender of Confederate General Lee at Appomattox in Virginia”Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union forces at Appomattox, Virginia, in April 1865.search
8“Grant served two terms as President of the United States”Ulysses S. Grant served two terms as President of the United States.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15