Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Jason Smith

Republican on Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act 2026-09-15

252 words · 13 sentences · 13 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 84 / 100

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

Procedure 6%Claims 68%Thanks 26%

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 · 138 wordsI rise today in support of H.R. 9500, the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, introduced by Representative Miller of Ohio.¹ Many of our fellow Americans have been the victims of fraud and suffered tremendous losses, both financial and otherwise. The hardship these victims endure in rebuilding their finances or recovering from identity theft is made all the worse by the fact that under current law they are also required to pay taxes on their scam-related losses.² This legislation provides much-needed relief for victims of fraud by allowing taxpayers to deduct the losses related to the fraud scheme that stole from them.³ Moreover, it recognizes that not all crimes are discovered at the time that they occur. The bill gives taxpayers more time to amend previous tax returns in order to receive credits and refunds on their losses.⁴ Thanks · 65 wordsI appreciate Representative Miller’s tireless efforts to not only combat fraud and punish the bad actors who scam taxpayers but to go the extra mile and find solutions for the victims of such fraud so that they are not penalized by the IRS. Lastly, I must mention the valuable input that our Ways and Means colleagues, Representatives Steube and Panetta, had in crafting this legislation.Thanks Claims · 33 wordsDuring its markup, we agreed to work together to improve the underlying policy to allow for retroactive deductibility of fraud- related losses.⁵Vague promise I am pleased that this bill reflects that additional bipartisan approach. 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 · 66

4 of 5 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.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “I appreciate Representative Miller’s tireless efforts to not only combat fraud and punish the bad actors who scam taxpayers but to go the extra mile and find solutions for the victims of such fraud so that they are not penalized by the IRS.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “Lastly, I must mention the valuable input that our Ways and Means colleagues, Representatives Steube and Panetta, had in crafting this legislation.”Thanks: 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 5 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 · 86

1 of 5 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 agreed to work together to improve the underlying policy”The commitment names no date, measure, or standard by which the improvement would be judged.

Claims · 5

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“9500, the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, introduced by Representative Miller of Ohio.”H.R. 9500, the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, was introduced by Representative Miller of Ohio.search
2“under current law they are also required to pay taxes on their scam-related losses”Under current United States law, fraud victims must pay taxes on scam-related losses.search
3“allowing taxpayers to deduct the losses related to the fraud scheme”The Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act allows taxpayers to deduct losses related to fraud schemes that victimized them.search
4“gives taxpayers more time to amend previous tax returns”The Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act gives taxpayers more time to amend previous tax returns to receive credits and refunds on their losses.search
5“During its markup, we agreed to work together to improve the underlying policy to allow for retroactive deductibility of fraud- related losses”During the markup of H.R. 9500, committee members agreed to work together to allow for retroactive deductibility of fraud-related losses.search

Analyzed on 2026-10-17