Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Alma S. Adams

Democrat on NIH Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone Act 2026-07-20

631 words · 36 sentences · 49 clauses

Statement grade

Average 90 / 100

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

Procedure 2%Positioning 8%Claims 61%Anecdote 16%Promise 6%Reasoning 5%The ask 2%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 11 wordsI rise to speak in favor of the NIH IMPROVE Act.Procedure Positioning · 23 wordsOne of my core beliefs that has led to my work in Congress is that health care is our most basic human right.Positioning Claims · 99 wordsYet, in our country, we see some of the worst disparities in health care access and outcomes. The maternal health crisis is no exception. Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy- related causes than other women.¹ Women living in rural areas are losing access to local labor and delivery units, as more rural hospitals close their maternity wards. This has not only delayed care but has led to worsening outcomes. Our country’s maternal mortality rate is higher than any other high-income country in the world.² Over 80 percent of these deaths are preventable.³ Positioning · 6 wordsWe can and must do better.PositioningVague promise Claims · 16 wordsWe have made substantial progress in understanding and addressing this crisis through the NIH IMPROVE Initiative. Anecdote · 29 wordsIn early 2019, Congresswoman Underwood and I met with then-Director of the National Institutes of Health to urge the agency to do more to address the maternal health crisis.⁴Anecdote Claims · 189 wordsIn response, the NIH launched the IMPROVE Initiative later that year, ⁵which stands for Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone. The IMPROVE Initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy. It includes a special emphasis on health disparities and populations that are disproportionately affected, such as racial and ethnic minorities, very young women and women of advanced maternal age, women living in rural areas, and people with disabilities. THE IMPROVE Initiative has funded: Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence--two of which are housed at HBCUs; ⁶Research projects on social determinants of maternal health, the impact of community violence on maternal health outcomes, and structural racism and discrimination; and The development of new home-based and point-of-care diagnostic devices for postpartum care. Through the federal appropriations process, Congress has quintupled funding for the Initiative since it was first launched.⁷ However, it has not yet been put into statute, which would ensure the longevity of the program and maintain consistent funding to address maternal mortality. The bill would authorize $53.4 million every year for seven years.⁸ Promise · 29 wordsWith that funding, the program will continue to investigate disparities in maternal health care, and develop ways to improve care and outcomes, including in our underserved maternal care deserts. Claims · 26 wordsFor too long, families in our country have faced the devastating losses of mothers to pregnancy-related causes. And too often these deaths have been completely preventable. Anecdote · 36 wordsThis is personal to me. My daughter, Jeanelle, almost lost her life to this crisis. Her doctor dismissed her pain and concerns, and by the time her medical team finally responded, it was almost too late.Anecdote Claims · 38 wordsThat dismissal and delay in care is a story I hear far too often from other mothers, especially Black mothers. Jeanelle is one of the tens of thousands of women who’ve experience ``near misses’’ with pregnancy- related complications. Anecdote · 33 wordsThat experience made me think about what it means to be a mom. Jeanelle is my daughter, a sister, and the mother of two amazing chiidren--she’s also a dedicated contributor to her community.Anecdote Reasoning · 33 wordsMothers everywhere, like Jeanelle, are calling on Congress to do everything we can to better understand this crisis, Vague promiseso we can fix this crisis. Dedicated research funding is the way to do that. Claims · 19 wordsThis bill was reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support.⁹ It is bipartisan and bicameral.¹⁰ Positioning · 23 wordsPassing the NIH IMPROVE Act today signifies Congress’s united commitment to all mothers across our country that we can and will do better.PositioningVague promise Promise · 10 wordsWe will deliver for our moms--because our moms can’t wait.Vague promise The ask · 11 wordsI urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

At a glance

Lost points for
Reasons givenThis statement drew 3 conclusions and gave a reason for each one.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 71

12 of 16 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 rise to speak in favor of the NIH IMPROVE Act.”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 “One of my core beliefs that has led to my work in Congress is that health care is our most basic human right.”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 can and must do better.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “In early 2019, Congresswoman Underwood and I met with then-Director of the National Institutes of Health to urge the agency to do more to address the maternal health crisis.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “This is personal to me.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “My daughter, Jeanelle, almost lost her life to this crisis.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “Her doctor dismissed her pain and concerns,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “and by the time her medical team finally responded, it was almost too late.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “That experience made me think about what it means to be a mom.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “Jeanelle is my daughter, a sister,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “and the mother of two amazing chiidren--she’s also a dedicated contributor to her community.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Passing the NIH IMPROVE Act today signifies Congress’s united commitment to all mothers across our country that we can and will do better.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 16 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.

Reasoning · 100

0 of 16 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 · 3

Conclusion“We can and must do better.”

Because“Yet, in our country, we see some of the worst disparities in health care access and outcomes.”

“The maternal health crisis is no exception.”

“Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy- related causes than other women.”

“Our country’s maternal mortality rate is higher than any other high-income country in the world.”

“Over 80 percent of these deaths are preventable.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Dedicated research funding is the way to do that.”

Because“Over 80 percent of these deaths are preventable.”

“We have made substantial progress in understanding and addressing this crisis through the NIH IMPROVE Initiative.”

“The IMPROVE Initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during,”

“Through the federal appropriations process, Congress has quintupled funding for the Initiative since it was first launched.”

“However, it has not yet been put into statute,”

“which would ensure the longevity of the program and maintain consistent funding to address maternal mortality.”

“With that funding, the program will continue to investigate disparities in maternal health care,”

“and develop ways to improve care and outcomes, including in our underserved maternal care deserts.”

Reason given
Conclusion“I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.”

Because“However, it has not yet been put into statute,”

“which would ensure the longevity of the program and maintain consistent funding to address maternal mortality.”

“The bill would authorize $53.4 million every year for seven years.”

“With that funding, the program will continue to investigate disparities in maternal health care,”

“and develop ways to improve care and outcomes, including in our underserved maternal care deserts.”

“This bill was reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support.”

“It is bipartisan and bicameral.”

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 · 87

4 of 16 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 “We can and must do better”A commitment with no actor, date, measure or success condition.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “do everything we can”A catch-all commitment with no specific action, date or measure attached.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “we can and will do better”A promise of improvement with no actor-specific steps, date or success condition.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “We will deliver for our moms”A commitment to deliver results with no actor-defined action, date or measure.

Claims · 10

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“Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy- related causes than other women”In the United States, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than other women.search
2“Our country’s maternal mortality rate is higher than any other high-income country in the world”The United States has a higher maternal mortality rate than any other high-income country.search
3“Over 80 percent of these deaths are preventable”Over 80 percent of US maternal deaths are preventable.search
4“In early 2019, Congresswoman Underwood and I met with then-Director of the National Institutes of Health to urge the agency to do more to address the maternal health crisis”In early 2019, Representatives Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood met with the then-Director of the NIH to urge the agency to do more on maternal health.search
5“the NIH launched the IMPROVE Initiative later that year”The NIH launched the IMPROVE Initiative in 2019.search
6“Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence--two of which are housed at HBCUs”Two of the NIH IMPROVE Initiative’s Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence are housed at historically Black colleges and universities.search
7“Congress has quintupled funding for the Initiative since it was first launched”Congressional appropriations for the NIH IMPROVE Initiative have increased fivefold since its launch in 2019.search
8“The bill would authorize $53.4 million every year for seven years”The NIH IMPROVE Act would authorize $53.4 million per year for seven years.search
9“This bill was reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support”The NIH IMPROVE Act was reported out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support.search
10“It is bipartisan and bicameral”The NIH IMPROVE Act has sponsors from both parties in both the House and the Senate.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15