Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Jason Smith

Republican on Taxpayer Advocate Participation Act 2026-09-15

237 words · 12 sentences · 15 clauses

Statement grade

Average 93 / 100

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

Procedure 7%Claims 75%Positioning 14%Promise 4%

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, Claims · 129 wordsI rise today in support of H.R. 9498, the Taxpayer Advocate Participation Act, introduced by Representative Steube.¹ As the title suggests, the National Taxpayer Advocate exists to champion the interests of American taxpayers and act as their voice to ensure fair treatment. There is currently one place where the advocate is forbidden from expressing those views directly: a court of law. That is because current law generally only allows Department of Justice personnel to represent the interests of the United States and its citizens in cases before the courts.² This means that when the interests of American taxpayers are being litigated and the outcome could impact the rights of taxpayers, the individual whose job it is to advocate on behalf of those taxpayers is not allowed to do so. Positioning · 34 wordsRepresentative Steube has made it his mission to advance the interests of American taxpayers. It is fitting that he is leading the charge to give the National Taxpayer Advocate another tool to support taxpayers: PositioningClaims · 48 wordsthe ability to file amicus briefs in court. To be clear, this authority is specifically tailored to ensure the advocate can take such action only in cases where the issue being litigated would broadly affect taxpayer rights. This bill received unanimous support in the Ways and Means Committee, ³Promise · 10 wordsand I look forward to advancing it through the House. 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 · 78

4 of 4 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.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Representative Steube has made it his mission to advance the interests of American taxpayers.”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 “It is fitting that he is leading the charge to give the National Taxpayer Advocate another tool to support taxpayers:”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 “I reserve the balance of my time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 4 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 4 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 · 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“introduced by Representative Steube”H.R. 9498, the Taxpayer Advocate Participation Act, was introduced by Representative Steube.search
2“current law generally only allows Department of Justice personnel to represent the interests of the United States”Current federal law generally only allows Department of Justice personnel to represent the United States’ interests in court cases.search
3“received unanimous support in the Ways and Means Committee”H.R. 9498 received unanimous support when considered by the House Ways and Means Committee.search

Analyzed on 2026-10-17