Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Robert Garcia

Democrat on Common Cents Act 2026-07-14

262 words · 15 sentences · 19 clauses

Statement grade

Average 91 / 100

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

Claims 60%Procedure 4%Reasoning 26%Positioning 4%The ask 5%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 11 wordsI am proud to co-lead this legislation with Representative Lisa McClain, Procedure · 11 wordsand I rise, of course, in strong support of this bill.Procedure Claims · 15 wordsAs has been said, we know that a penny costs taxpayers 3.7 cents to produce, ¹Hidden agencyReasoning · 14 wordsso it makes zero sense to spend almost 4 cents creating only 1 cent. Positioning · 5 wordsThis bill is common sense.Positioning Claims · 35 wordsIt has bipartisan support, and it saves taxpayers money and reduces waste. In 2023 alone, the Mint lost approximately $180 million making pennies.² The reality is that the penny now is just out of date.Unearned certainty Reasoning · 40 wordsAs the cost of living increases for many, with folks tapping technology on their phones or cards to pay their bills, we should not be pouring millions and millions of taxpayer dollars into a coin that is now rarely used. Positioning · 6 wordsThis is not a partisan idea.Positioning Claims · 82 wordsAs has been said, countries from all across the world--Canada, Australia, New Zealand, ³Hidden agencyand others--have stopped using and producing low-value coins without any issues or problems for the population. This bill provides clarity by giving businesses the option, not the requirement, to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel when exact change isn’t available.⁴ It also ensures that existing pennies, more than 114 billion of them, will also remain legal tender.⁵ Folks can keep those pennies if they have them at home. Reasoning · 14 wordsNow, the government should stop spending nearly 4 cents to make 1 cent coins. Claims · 15 wordsThe Common Cents Act eliminates a wasteful, obsolete coin while protecting pennies as legal tender. The ask · 14 wordsLet’s stop throwing good money after the bad and pass the Common Cents Act.

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 91

3 of 6 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 “and I rise, of course, in strong support of this bill.”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 common sense.”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 “This is not a partisan idea.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 6 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 · 83

3 of 6 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.

Wording that hides who did something, or who will.What the tags mean “As has been said”The passive attributes the figure to unnamed speakers, hiding who established it.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “The reality is”The formula asserts the conclusion in place of citing a source.
Wording that hides who did something, or who will.What the tags mean “As has been said”The passive again credits unspecified speakers rather than any identifiable source.

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“a penny costs taxpayers 3.7 cents to produce”The US Mint’s cost to produce one penny is 3.7 cents.search
2“In 2023 alone, the Mint lost approximately $180 million making pennies”The US Mint lost approximately $180 million producing pennies in 2023.search
3“countries from all across the world--Canada, Australia, New Zealand”Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have stopped producing low-value coins.search
4“giving businesses the option, not the requirement, to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel”The Common Cents Act makes rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel optional rather than mandatory for businesses.search
5“existing pennies, more than 114 billion of them, will also remain legal tender”There are more than 114 billion existing pennies, and the bill keeps them legal tender.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15