Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Bruce Westerman

Republican on Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025 2026-09-14

228 words · 13 sentences · 15 clauses

Statement grade

A+

Average 97 / 100

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

Procedure 10%Claims 90%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 9 wordsI yield myself such time as I may consume.Procedure Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 6 wordsI rise in support of S.Procedure Claims · 206 words240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, sponsored by Senator Daines from Montana and championed in the House by Representative Downing of Montana.¹ This bill ensures the Crow Tribe has the tools and flexibility it needs to implement its longstanding water rights settlement. The underlying 2010 settlement ratified the water rights compact between the Crow Tribe and the State of Montana and authorized major investments in water infrastructure on the Crow Reservation.² This legislation does not change funding levels or the existing water rights settlement.³ Instead, it updates the settlement to better reflect the Tribe’s needs today. The original settlement required the Bureau of Reclamation to build a Federal water project to serve the Crow Reservation.⁴ This bill converts this project-based settlement to a fund-based settlement, authorizing the Crow Tribe to manage project construction within existing Federal funding levels.⁵ The bill ensures there is no ongoing Federal operation and maintenance requirement upon completion.⁶ The bill also extends the Tribe’s exclusive right to develop hydropower at the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam through 2030.⁷ Taken together, these provisions give the Crow Tribe greater flexibility to invest in water infrastructure, improve irrigation, and pursue economic development opportunities, while maintaining the commitments made in the original settlement. Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 90

3 of 3 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 yield myself such time as I may consume.”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 “I rise in support of S.”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 “I reserve the balance of my time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 3 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 · 100

0 of 3 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.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 7

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“240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, sponsored by Senator Daines from Montana and championed in the House by Representative Downing of Montana.”The bill S. 240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Daines of Montana and championed in the House by Representative Downing of Montana.search
2“The underlying 2010 settlement ratified the water rights compact between the Crow Tribe and the State of Montana and authorized major investments in water infrastructure on the Crow Reservation”The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 ratified the water rights compact between the Crow Tribe and Montana and authorized investments in water infrastructure on the Crow Reservation.search
3“This legislation does not change funding levels or the existing water rights settlement”The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025 does not change funding levels or the existing water rights settlement.search
4“The original settlement required the Bureau of Reclamation to build a Federal water project to serve the Crow Reservation”The 2010 Crow settlement required the Bureau of Reclamation to build a federal water project to serve the Crow Reservation.search
5“converts this project-based settlement to a fund-based settlement, authorizing the Crow Tribe to manage project construction within existing Federal funding levels”The 2025 bill converts the Crow settlement from a project-based to a fund-based settlement, authorizing the Crow Tribe to manage project construction within existing federal funding levels.search
6“ensures there is no ongoing Federal operation and maintenance requirement upon completion”The 2025 bill provides that there is no ongoing federal operation and maintenance requirement upon project completion.search
7“extends the Tribe’s exclusive right to develop hydropower at the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam through 2030”The 2025 bill extends the Crow Tribe’s exclusive right to develop hydropower at the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam through 2030.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-16