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Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance, Reasoning and Clarity. Reasoning rests on 2 conclusions, too few to hold the grade down. Average 73 / 100
Signal
61 / 100
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Relevance
72 / 100
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Reasoning
60 / 100
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Respect
–
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Clarity
100 / 100
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A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.
Greeting 2% Procedure 7% Claims 55% Positioning 23% Aside 4% The ask 4% Promise 5%
Structure · 18 steps
Claims · 9
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 8 words I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Greeting Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 21 words I rise in opposition to this bill. I rise in opposition to any effort to cut veterans’ benefits. Let’s be clear. Procedure Unearned certainty Claims · 64 words This bill raises the cost of the VA Home Loan Program during a housing crisis, 1 and this program and this bill cuts VA benefits for current veterans who don’t have them and for troops downrange right now for two of the most common conditions they may experience: 2 sleep apnea and tinnitus.3 This bill sells off more VA and veterans’ care to the private sector.4 Positioning · 51 words It continues the privatization push of the Trump administration and so many congressional Republicans. I am not going to take a lecture on fiscal responsibility or accept this argument from the Republicans and the Trump administration that you have to fund veterans’ programs by cutting care or benefits for other veterans. Positioning Claims · 36 words The same people who have funded an Iran war at the tune of billions and billions of dollars, the same people who added nearly $5 trillion to the debt through their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 5 Aside · 17 words which, by the way, has a new name now, I guess. We have lost track of that. Aside Claims · 14 words That new bill, by the way, would also add $19 trillion over 30 years.6 Off point Mr. Speaker, Positioning · 44 words there is no problem on the Republican side with adding to the debt when it comes time to give tax breaks and tax giveaways to the ultrarich and to corporations, but when it comes time to care of veterans, now they are counting pennies. Positioning Off point Procedure · 9 words Let’s be crystal clear about what this bill does. Procedure Unearned certainty Claims · 34 words It says to troops downrange right now who are in harm’s way that they have to have worse benefits than veterans have today to pay for benefits and care that other veterans have earned. Positioning · 3 words That is ridiculous. Positioning No reason given Claims · 14 words It is why groups like the VFW, the IAVA, 7 and others oppose this bill. The ask · 16 words It is why I think Democrats and Republicans should oppose this bill on the floor today. Promise · 22 words For this reason and many others, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee.8 Claims · 69 words If the House Rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an amendment to this bill. The amendment would change the offsets used in the bill. Instead of reducing the VA home loan benefit and cutting disability benefits for sleep apnea and tinnitus, it takes unobligated, appropriated but not committed, funding given to the DOD in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and uses it as a pay-for.9
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×6 Positioning ×5 Procedure ×4 Unearned certainty ×2 Aside ×2 Greeting No reason given
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 61
12 of 21 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.
Greeting Greetings and pleasantries. What the tags mean → “I thank the gentleman from California for yielding.” A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I rise in opposition to this bill.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I rise in opposition to any effort to cut veterans’ benefits.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “Let’s be clear.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “It continues the privatization push of the Trump administration and so many congressional Republicans.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “I am not going to take a lecture on fiscal responsibility or accept this argument from the Republicans and the Trump administration that you have to fund veterans’ programs by cutting care or benefits for other veterans.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Aside A remark off to the side of the point. What the tags mean → “which, by the way, has a new name now, I guess.” An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
Aside A remark off to the side of the point. What the tags mean → “We have lost track of that.” An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “there is no problem on the Republican side with adding to the debt when it comes time to give tax breaks and tax giveaways to the ultrarich and to corporations,” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “but when it comes time to care of veterans, now they are counting pennies.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “Let’s be crystal clear about what this bill does.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “That is ridiculous.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 72
6 of 21 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.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “The same people who have funded an Iran war at the tune of billions and billions of dollars, the same people who added nearly $5 trillion to the debt through their One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Attacks on Iran war funding and the other party’s debt record, not the bill’s contents.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “which, by the way, has a new name now, I guess.” Aside joking about the other bill’s new name, not the bill under debate.
Off point 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 have lost track of that.” Aside about losing track of the other bill’s name, not the bill under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “That new bill, by the way, would also add $19 trillion over 30 years.” Figures about the other bill’s debt impact, not the bill under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “there is no problem on the Republican side with adding to the debt when it comes time to give tax breaks and tax giveaways to the ultrarich and to corporations,” Political point about the other side’s tax policy, not what this bill does.
Off point 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 when it comes time to care of veterans, now they are counting pennies.” Partisan contrast on counting pennies, not an answer about the bill.
Reasoning · 60
1 of 21 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.
No reason given A conclusion stated with no reason given for it. What the tags mean → “That is ridiculous.” With ‘ridiculous’ struck, only the restatement in c21 remains, and no argument for why that arrangement is absurd is offered.
Conclusions found · 2
Conclusion “That is ridiculous.”
Because No reason given
Conclusion “It is why I think Democrats and Republicans should oppose this bill on the floor today.”
Because “This bill raises the cost of the VA Home Loan Program during a housing crisis,”
“and this program and this bill cuts VA benefits for current veterans who don’t have them and for troops downrange right now for two of the most common conditions they may experience:”
“sleep apnea and tinnitus.”
“This bill sells off more VA and veterans’ care to the private sector.”
“It is why groups like the VFW, the IAVA,”
“and others oppose this bill.”
“The amendment would change the offsets used in the bill.”
“Instead of reducing the VA home loan benefit and cutting disability benefits for sleep apnea and tinnitus, it takes unobligated, appropriated but not committed, funding given to the DOD in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and uses it as a pay-for.”
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
2 of 21 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.
Unearned certainty Something stated as certain with nothing to back it. What the tags mean → “Let’s be clear” A framing formula asserted in place of a source before the claims follow.
Unearned certainty Something stated as certain with nothing to back it. What the tags mean → “Let’s be crystal clear” A certainty formula that substitutes for evidence ahead of the characterization.
Claims · 9
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 “raises the cost of the VA Home Loan Program” The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act raises the cost of the VA Home Loan Program. search 2 “cuts VA benefits for current veterans who don’t have them and for troops downrange right now” The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act cuts VA benefits for current veterans and for currently serving troops. search 3 “sleep apnea and tinnitus” The benefits cuts in the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act concern sleep apnea and tinnitus. search 4 “sells off more VA and veterans’ care to the private sector” The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act expands VA care provided by the private sector. search 5 “added nearly $5 trillion to the debt through their One Big Beautiful Bill Act” The One Big Beautiful Bill Act added nearly $5 trillion to the U.S. federal debt. search 6 “would also add $19 trillion over 30 years” A new bill (the renamed successor to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) would add $19 trillion to the debt over 30 years. search 7 “groups like the VFW, the IAVA” The VFW and the IAVA oppose the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act. search 8 “I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee” Christopher Deluzio intends to offer a motion to recommit the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act to committee. search 9 “it takes unobligated, appropriated but not committed, funding given to the DOD in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and uses it as a pay-for” Deluzio’s proposed amendment would use unobligated DOD funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as a pay-for instead of the bill’s offsets. search
