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Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance, Reasoning and Clarity. Average 68 / 100
Signal
49 / 100
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Relevance
52 / 100
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Reasoning
75 / 100
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Respect
–
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Clarity
96 / 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.
Procedure 3% Claims 30% Positioning 27% Reasoning 14% Anecdote 19% The ask 6%
Structure · 15 steps
Claims · 3
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 8 words I rise today to oppose H.R. 9237, which, Procedure Claims · 8 words if we are being clear, cuts veterans’ benefits. Unearned certainty Positioning · 73 words The President and my colleagues on the Republican side in Congress have no problem sending our men and women off to war, but the real measure of a nation is not just how it treats their servicemembers when they are on Active Duty. It is how it treats them when they are no longer dodging the bombs, the bullets, and the storms at sea and when they are no longer serving in war. Positioning Off point Reasoning · 11 words As a Congress, we have to do right by our veterans, Claims · 29 words and this bill simply does not do it with $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans.1 No reason given It raises home loan refinancing fees $4 billion on veteran borrowers.2 Mr. Speaker, Anecdote · 51 words I am the son of two veterans, and we would have never purchased our first home when I was in high school were it not for a VA home assistance loan. That is to say not just for me but for so many folks across the 18th Congressional District of Texas. Anecdote Off point Claims · 35 words I keep hearing my colleagues on the other side of the aisle saying that we have to find money to offset to be able to pay for some of the other benefits in this bill. Procedure · 1 words Yet, Procedure Reasoning · 15 words if we are pinching pennies, let’s tell the President to end his war in Iran, 3 Claims · 9 words which has cost taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. Off point Reasoning · 12 words It is time for this Congress to do right by our veterans. Mr. Speaker, The ask · 15 words I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote against H.R. 9237.
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×10 Procedure ×4 Positioning ×4 Anecdote ×3 Unearned certainty No reason given
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 49
11 of 23 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.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I rise today to oppose H.R.” 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 → “9237,” 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 → “which,” 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 → “The President and my colleagues on the Republican side in Congress have no problem sending our men and women off to war,” 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 the real measure of a nation is not just how it treats their servicemembers when they are on Active Duty.” 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 → “It is how it treats them when they are no longer dodging the bombs, the bullets,” 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 → “and the storms at sea and when they are no longer serving in war.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “I am the son of two veterans,” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “and we would have never purchased our first home when I was in high school were it not for a VA home assistance loan.” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “That is to say not just for me but for so many folks across the 18th Congressional District of Texas.” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “Yet,” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 52
10 of 23 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 President and my colleagues on the Republican side in Congress have no problem sending our men and women off to war,” A rhetorical attack on the President and Republicans rather than anything about the bill’s content.
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 the real measure of a nation is not just how it treats their servicemembers when they are on Active Duty.” Rhetoric about how a nation treats servicemembers, not the bill’s provisions.
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 → “It is how it treats them when they are no longer dodging the bombs, the bullets,” Continues the general appeal about treatment of veterans after service, not the bill.
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 → “and the storms at sea and when they are no longer serving in war.” Same rhetorical line about serving in war, not the bill’s provisions.
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 → “I am the son of two veterans,” Personal family background, not the bill or its effects.
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 → “and we would have never purchased our first home when I was in high school were it not for a VA home assistance loan.” A personal anecdote about a VA home loan, 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 is to say not just for me but for so many folks across the 18th Congressional District of Texas.” Extends the personal story to the district rather than addressing the bill.
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 → “Yet,” A connective word in the pivot away from the bill; part of the offset digression.
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 → “if we are pinching pennies, let’s tell the President to end his war in Iran,” Tells the President to end a war in Iran, a political point unrelated to the bill’s provisions.
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 has cost taxpayers billions and billions of dollars.” Costs of the Iran war, not anything in the bill under debate.
Reasoning · 75
1 of 23 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 → “and this bill simply does not do it with $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans.” The clause restates the figure and conclusion without any independent supporting fact, and no other clause backs the number.
Conclusions found · 4
Conclusion “if we are being clear, cuts veterans’ benefits.”
Because “and this bill simply does not do it with $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans.”
“It raises home loan refinancing fees $4 billion on veteran borrowers.”
Conclusion “and this bill simply does not do it with $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans.”
Because No reason given
No reason given The clause restates the figure and conclusion without any independent supporting fact, and no other clause backs the number.
Conclusion “It is time for this Congress to do right by our veterans.”
Because “but the real measure of a nation is not just how it treats their servicemembers when they are on Active Duty.”
“It is how it treats them when they are no longer dodging the bombs, the bullets,”
“and the storms at sea and when they are no longer serving in war.”
“As a Congress, we have to do right by our veterans,”
Conclusion “9237.”
Because “and this bill simply does not do it with $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans.”
“It raises home loan refinancing fees $4 billion on veteran borrowers.”
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 · 96
1 of 23 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 → “if we are being clear” The phrase asserts that the speaker’s characterization is simply obvious, replacing any cited basis for the claim about what the bill does.
Claims · 3
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 “$57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans” H.R. 9237 (Take Care of America’s Veterans Act) includes $57 billion in cuts to disability benefits for veterans. search 2 “raises home loan refinancing fees $4 billion on veteran borrowers” H.R. 9237 raises home loan refinancing fees by $4 billion on veteran borrowers. search 3 “war in Iran” There is an ongoing US war in Iran initiated under the current President that has cost taxpayers billions of dollars. search