Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

J. French Hill

Republican on Common Cents Act 2026-07-14

326 words · 21 sentences · 24 clauses

Statement grade

Average 92 / 100

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

Procedure 15%Claims 65%Reasoning 10%Positioning 8%The ask 2%

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, Procedure · 19 wordsI rise today on the House floor in support of Republican Conference Chairwoman McClain’s bill, the Common Cents Act.Procedure Claims · 26 wordsThis is a simple, common ``cents’’ bill aimed at saving taxpayer dollars and modernizing a part of our currency system that no longer makes economic sense. Procedure · 5 wordsThe numbers speak for themselves.ProcedureUnearned certainty Claims · 66 wordsAccording to an audit of the United States Mint, it costs $3.69 to make one penny.¹ That is the 19th year in a row, Mr. Speaker, the government has spent more to make a penny than a penny is worth.² Last year alone, taxpayers lost more than $85 million producing pennies.³ Chairwoman McClain’s bill simply codifies President Trump’s directive to the Mint to stop producing pennies. Procedure · 7 wordsOf course, we have to be practical.Procedure Reasoning · 16 wordsIf we are going to no longer make pennies, people are likely to use more nickels. Claims · 24 wordsThe problem is that nickels aren’t exactly a bargain either and the gentleman from Massachusetts knows it. They cost nearly 14 cents to produce, ⁴Reasoning · 15 wordsso we need to make sure we don’t solve one problem by creating another one. Claims · 64 wordsThat is why Mrs. McClain’s bill also gives the U.S. Treasury Secretary the authority to move to a lower cost, zinc-based nickel to ensure that increased nickel demand is not mitigating the savings due to the elimination of the penny.⁵ The bill also addresses something retailers and consumers are already experiencing. With fewer pennies available, many cash transactions are rounded to the nearest nickel. Procedure · 1 wordsH.R.Procedure Claims · 25 words3074 provides a clear, uniform standard for how these transactions can be rounded, giving businesses certainty and ensuring everyone is playing by the same rules.⁶ Positioning · 27 wordsThis bill is about good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. It is about recognizing when government can do things more efficiently, making smart updates where they are needed, PositioningClaims · 6 wordsand saving money in the process. Mr. Speaker, The ask · 8 wordsI urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3074, Procedure · 8 wordsand I 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 · 75

8 of 9 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.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I rise today on the House floor in support of Republican Conference Chairwoman McClain’s bill, the Common Cents Act.”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 “The numbers speak for themselves.”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 “Of course, we have to be practical.”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 “H.R.”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 “This bill is about good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”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 “It is about recognizing when government can do things more efficiently, making smart updates where they are needed,”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 “and I reserve the balance of my time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 9 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

1 of 9 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 “The numbers speak for themselves”The speaker asserts the figures are self-evident rather than citing them, a formula that stands in for a source.

Claims · 6

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“it costs $3.69 to make one penny”According to a United States Mint audit, it costs $3.69 to produce one penny.search
2“the 19th year in a row, Mr. Speaker, the government has spent more to make a penny than a penny is worth”2026 marks the 19th consecutive year in which the US government’s cost of producing a penny exceeded the penny’s face value.search
3“Last year alone, taxpayers lost more than $85 million producing pennies”In 2025, US penny production cost taxpayers more than $85 million in losses.search
4“They cost nearly 14 cents to produce”It costs nearly 14 cents for the US government to produce one nickel.search
5“gives the U.S. Treasury Secretary the authority to move to a lower cost, zinc-based nickel”The Common Cents Act gives the US Treasury Secretary authority to move to a lower-cost, zinc-based nickel.search
6“provides a clear, uniform standard for how these transactions can be rounded”H.R. 3074 (the Common Cents Act) establishes a uniform national standard for rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15