Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Brad Sherman

Democrat on Common Cents Act 2026-09-14

834 words · 46 sentences · 68 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 80 / 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%Greeting 2%Claims 46%Positioning 2%Reasoning 29%Thanks 5%Aside 7%Anecdote 7%Promise 1%The ask 1%

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, Greeting · 15 wordsI rise in support of H.R. 10167, the Common Cents Act, sponsored by Representative McClain.³Greeting Claims · 21 wordsLast year, the President announced on Truth Social--not the best way to make a government announcement--that Treasury would stop minting pennies.¹ Positioning · 14 wordsFrankly, I disagree with almost everything the President does, but this one makes sense.PositioningOff point Claims · 17 wordsI have been advocating for the abolition of the penny for over 20 years in our committee, Reasoning · 10 wordsand it is time that we move forward on this. Claims · 67 wordsFollowing this announcement, the Treasury moved forward, and the Mint has stopped producing pennies.² Unfortunately, the decision to stop minting pennies ignored the authority of Congress in regulating currency and overseeing a major transition away from producing pennies. We saw that this abrupt decision resulted in major consequences across the country that led to penny shortages for banks, retailers, and consumers and created confusion in the economy. Reasoning · 29 wordsIt is not enough to stop minting pennies. We need a bill that tells retailers and customers how much they are supposed to pay in nickels, dimes, and dollars. Procedure · 1 wordsHowever, ProcedureReasoning · 17 wordsas written, this legislation addresses many of these issues and establishes much-needed standards and guidelines going forward. Thanks · 38 wordsSince we marked up the Common Cents Act in our committee, this bill has continued to be meaningfully improved, thanks to the work of our ranking member, Maxine Waters, and other Financial Services Committee Democrats, including Representative Garcia.Thanks Claims · 64 wordsThe Common Cents Act formally directs the Secretary of the Treasury to stop minting pennies.⁴ It also allows the Mint to test a lower-cost composition for the nickel, ⁵which chiefly would be zinc, and to make use of the zinc that is now going into pennies. Moreover, by using zinc for the nickel, not only will we save money, but it will be lighter, Reasoning · 17 wordsand that will be important for the cost of those who are transporting large quantities of coins, Aside · 10 wordsand it will be a little lighter in your pocket.Aside Reasoning · 8 wordsThis bill not only deals with the penny, Claims · 14 wordsbut it also improves the nickel. The bill provides clarity on rounding cash transactions. Anecdote · 31 wordsWhen I proposed in committee 20 years ago, and I proposed it at townhalls, people were concerned that somehow this would lead to higher prices and that somehow retailers would benefit.Anecdote Reasoning · 70 wordsThe fact is, it is the consumer, not the retailer, who determines whether you buy two nail files at the same time and that happens to round down, Unearned certaintyand then buy another two nail files at the same time, and that transaction is rounded down. I can’t imagine anybody doing that to save a nickel, but it is the consumer, not the retailer, that decides what goes into the basket. Aside · 17 wordsI can’t imagine anybody looking at this. If somebody does care, it is the retailer in control.Aside Claims · 16 wordsWe have formal rules here on rounding down when it is 2 cents or 1 cent. Reasoning · 8 wordsThat is important for commerce to go forward. Claims · 60 wordsUnder this bill, the Federal Reserve would be required to issue a strategic plan for managing and limiting disruptions in the penny supply.⁶ Recently, in August, the Senate added a new section that requires the Treasury to submit notification to the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee regarding potential plans to discontinue any coin, among other requirements.⁷ Reasoning · 12 wordsThis is important because Congress plays a key role in these processes. Claims · 5 wordsThere has been some disruption, Reasoning · 11 wordsand we need to be in a position to manage it.Vague promise Anecdote · 25 wordsMy focus on the fact that we didn’t need pennies arises from the fact that I used to head the second largest sales tax agency.⁸Anecdote Claims · 78 wordsWhat consumers may not know is that every time you do a transaction--last year, last decade, 20 years ago--the amount you pay the retailer is subject to rounding. There is a tax of 5 percent or 8 percent, and the amount you actually owe is $1.125, which is rounded down. We have been rounding transactions for a long time in this country. Now, we will be rounding to the nearest nickel instead of rounding to the nearest penny. Reasoning · 19 wordsFurther, by eliminating the penny, we create extra room in the cash register where the penny used to go. Claims · 30 wordsThat room could be used for a dollar coin. We all know that it costs more than a dollar to print a dollar and that a paper dollar wears out.Unearned certainty Promise · 8 wordsI look forward to popularizing the dollar coin. Reasoning · 11 wordsThis will be a boon to our transit agencies, vending machines, Claims · 8 wordsand others when people use a dollar coin. Aside · 30 wordsGrowing up, we had a dollar coin. We just called it a quarter. We had a quarter. We used it. It was worth about what a dollar is worth today.⁹AsideOff point Mr. Speaker, Reasoning · 28 wordswhile I am not a big fan of the inflation that has taken place in my lifetime, I do think it is time to popularize the dollar coin. The ask · 8 wordsI urge my colleagues to support this bill, Procedure · 8 wordsand I 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 · 72

20 of 37 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.
Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “I rise in support of H.R.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “10167, the Common Cents Act, sponsored by Representative McClain.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Frankly, I disagree with almost everything the President does,”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 this one makes sense.”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 “However,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “Since we marked up the Common Cents Act in our committee, this bill has continued to be meaningfully improved, thanks to the work of our ranking member, Maxine Waters,”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “and other Financial Services Committee Democrats, including Representative Garcia.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “and it will be a little lighter in your pocket.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “When I proposed in committee 20 years ago,”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 I proposed it at townhalls, people were concerned that somehow this would lead to higher prices and that somehow retailers would benefit.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “I can’t imagine anybody looking at this.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “If somebody does care, it is the retailer in control.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “My focus on the fact that we didn’t need pennies arises from the fact that I used to head the second largest sales tax agency.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “Growing up, we had a dollar coin.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “We just called it a quarter.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “We had a quarter.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “We used it.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “It was worth about what a dollar is worth today.”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 “and I reserve the balance of my time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 80

14 of 37 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 “Last year, the President announced on Truth Social--not the best way to make a government announcement--that Treasury would stop minting pennies.”This is an aside about the President’s announcement on social media, not about the bill’s provisions.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Frankly, I disagree with almost everything the President does,”A political remark about the speaker’s view of the President, 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 this one makes sense.”Praises the President’s decision rather than addressing what the bill would do.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Further, by eliminating the penny, we create extra room in the cash register where the penny used to go.”Turns to a dollar coin proposal that is not part of 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 “That room could be used for a dollar coin.”Speculates about using register space for a dollar coin, a subject outside 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 all know that it costs more than a dollar to print a dollar and that a paper dollar wears out.”Argues about dollar printing costs, which is a different policy issue than the bill addresses.
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 look forward to popularizing the dollar coin.”Promotes popularizing the dollar coin, not addressed by 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 “This will be a boon to our transit agencies, vending machines,”Continues the dollar coin advocacy, which the bill does not cover.
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 others when people use a dollar coin.”Further dollar coin benefits, a subject outside 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 “Growing up, we had a dollar coin.”A joke about quarters, unrelated to the bill’s provisions.
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 just called it a quarter.”A joke about quarters, 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 “We had a quarter.”A joke about quarters, 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 “We used it.”A joke about quarters, 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 “It was worth about what a dollar is worth today.”A joke about inflation and the quarter, not about the bill’s contents.

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 · 89

3 of 37 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.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “The fact is”Asserts certainty with a formula rather than a source for who benefits from rounding.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “we need to be in a position to manage it”States a need to manage disruption with no actor, date, or measure.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “We all know”Replaces a source with an appeal to shared certainty about minting costs.

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“Last year, the President announced on Truth Social”In 2025, the President announced on Truth Social that the Treasury would stop minting pennies.search
2“the Mint has stopped producing pennies”The U.S. Mint has stopped producing pennies for circulation.search
3“10167, the Common Cents Act, sponsored by Representative McClain.”H.R. 10167, the Common Cents Act, is sponsored by Representative McClain.search
4“formally directs the Secretary of the Treasury to stop minting pennies”The Common Cents Act formally directs the Secretary of the Treasury to stop minting pennies.search
5“allows the Mint to test a lower-cost composition for the nickel”The Common Cents Act allows the Mint to test a lower-cost composition for the nickel.search
6“the Federal Reserve would be required to issue a strategic plan for managing and limiting disruptions in the penny supply”Under the Common Cents Act, the Federal Reserve would be required to issue a strategic plan for managing and limiting disruptions in the penny supply.search
7“in August, the Senate added a new section that requires the Treasury to submit notification to the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee regarding potential plans to discontinue any coin”In August 2026, the Senate added a section requiring Treasury to notify the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee of potential plans to discontinue any coin.search
8“I used to head the second largest sales tax agency”Brad Sherman formerly headed the second largest sales tax agency in the United States.search
9“It was worth about what a dollar is worth today”The purchasing power of a quarter during Sherman’s childhood is roughly equal to the purchasing power of a dollar today.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-16