Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Thom Tillis

Republican on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027--Motion to Proceed 2026-07-14

440 words · 21 sentences · 28 clauses

Statement grade

A–

Average 85 / 100

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

Procedure 6%Aside 3%Claims 33%The ask 19%Promise 20%Positioning 18%Thanks 2%

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

Procedure · 4 wordsNo, quite the contrary.Procedure Aside · 13 wordsThat is why I am saying--look, I love saying I told you so, AsideClaims · 12 wordsand I believed that that was going to be the case here. The ask · 64 wordsBut, Senator Cornyn, let me just say it for anybody--for the 20 people watching on C-SPAN--and, hopefully, some will cover our statements--I defy anybody--anyone--who opposed this bill, who scored it, who threatened Members to vote against it, I defy them to come to my office and find one example of what they were telling people to oppose this bill that actually came to pass--one. Procedure · 5 wordsHere it is: Public challenge.Procedure Claims · 62 wordsGuys, you who so--you were out there. You were emailing. You were raising money. You were saying the world is going to end, guns are going to be confiscated, that straw purchases were going to destroy--you know, that we weren’t going after trafficking, that we were going after law-abiding officers, and their licenses were going to be--all these things, all this noise. Promise · 32 wordsI will dedicate an hour to somebody who wants to come into my office and prove to me that one--one--negative behavior by any State or local government or Federal Government has occurred. Procedure · 5 wordsThis is what happened, folks.Procedure Promise · 36 wordsBut you want to come to my office, I will guarantee you, you refer to this C-SPAN segment and you want to come to my office and prove that something bad happened, I will take that. Positioning · 9 wordsMy guess is, I will get that hour back, PositioningProcedure · 6 wordsand that is what I mean.Procedure Claims · 43 wordsYou know, at some point on these tough issues, we keep kicking the can down the road because we let people off the hook for saying things that are patently untrue and then not hold them to account a year or two later. Procedure · 7 wordsWell, I am here to tell you: ProcedureClaims · 11 wordsI am here for the next 173 days before I retire.¹Off point The ask · 18 wordsAnybody who wants to come in and prove one bad outcome from this bill, give me a call. Claims · 16 wordsAnd, Senator Cornyn, again, you and I are both--we are both here for another 173 days.² Positioning · 27 wordsWe got--and I say that not because I am counting the days to leave, but I am counting the days that we have to make an impact.PositioningOff point Promise · 20 wordsAnd I hope I can continue to work with you on this and other bills to even make it better.Vague promise Positioning · 43 wordsWe are, unabashedly, unapologetically, pro-Second Amendment Republicans. But we are smart about it, and we have the courage to step up when we see a change can be made that will keep us true to those values but also keep our communities safer.Positioning Thanks · 7 wordsAnd I appreciate your leadership on this.Thanks

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 69

14 of 19 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 “No, quite the contrary.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “That is why I am saying--look, I love saying I told you so,”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 “Here it is:”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 “Public challenge.”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 “This is what happened, folks.”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 “My guess is, I will get that hour back,”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 that is what I mean.”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 “Well, I am here to tell you:”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 “We got--and I say that not because I am counting the days to leave,”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 I am counting the days that we have to make an impact.”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 “We are, unabashedly, unapologetically, pro-Second Amendment Republicans.”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 we are smart about it,”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 “and we have the courage to step up when we see a change can be made that will keep us true to those values but also keep our communities safer.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “And I appreciate your leadership on this.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 85

4 of 19 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 “I am here for the next 173 days before I retire.”Announces his retirement timeline rather than anything about 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 “And, Senator Cornyn, again, you and I are both--we are both here for another 173 days.”Focuses on how many days he and Senator Cornyn have left in office, not 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 “We got--and I say that not because I am counting the days to leave,”A personal aside about whether he is counting days to leave, not about 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 “but I am counting the days that we have to make an impact.”Talks about his remaining time to make an impact generally, not the bill.

Reasoning · 93

0 of 19 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.

Nothing lost points.

Conclusions found · 2

Conclusion“I will dedicate an hour to somebody who wants to come into my office and prove to me that one--one--negative behavior by any State or local government or Federal Government has occurred.”

Because“But, Senator Cornyn, let me just say it for anybody--for the 20 people watching on C-SPAN--and, hopefully, some will cover our statements--I defy anybody--anyone--who opposed this bill, who scored it, who threatened Members to vote against it, I defy them to come to my office and find one example of what they were telling people to oppose this bill that actually came to pass--one.”

“You were saying the world is going to end, guns are going to be confiscated, that straw purchases were going to destroy--you know, that we weren’t going after trafficking, that we were going after law-abiding officers,”

“and their licenses were going to be--all these things, all this noise.”

“My guess is, I will get that hour back,”

Reason given
Conclusion“Anybody who wants to come in and prove one bad outcome from this bill, give me a call.”

Because“I am here for the next 173 days before I retire.”

“And, Senator Cornyn, again, you and I are both--we are both here for another 173 days.”

Reason given

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 · 94

1 of 19 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.

A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “continue to work with you on this and other bills”No measure, date, or success condition is given for this commitment.

Claims · 2

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“I am here for the next 173 days before I retire”Senator Thom Tillis said on 2026-07-14 that he would retire in 173 days, meaning his Senate service was set to end in early January 2027.search
2“we are both here for another 173 days”Tillis said that both he and Senator Cornyn would remain in the Senate for another 173 days from 2026-07-14.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15