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Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance, Reasoning and Clarity is 62. The grade is held to 30, 30 above Relevance. 30 / 100, held down by Relevance
Signal
74 / 100
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Relevance
0 / 100
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Reasoning
75 / 100
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Respect
–
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Clarity
100 / 100
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A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.
Greeting 5% Anecdote 14% Reasoning 31% Claims 45% Procedure 4%
Structure · 13 steps
Claims · 6
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. President, Greeting · 24 words thanks for letting us come to the floor, and I do appreciate my colleague Senator Bill Cassidy being here with me today as well. Greeting Anecdote · 66 words Could you imagine you are in the market and you need a new car, you need a new truck, and you really need it badly--you don’t have a way to get to and from work--so you get online and you look at the different models out there and be expected to make a purchase without knowing what the cost of that truck or that car was? Anecdote Reasoning · 29 words Well, that is the way healthcare is right now. We expect consumers to have all the healthcare delivered to them, and months later they get a bill for it. Claims · 92 words We think that patients deserve pricetags just like consumers do in every other form of business. You think about the challenges of America today. Certainly the cost of living is upfront, and it is personal. And one of the big drivers of that cost is healthcare, health insurance. We have seen it go from 13 percent up to 18 percent of GDP.1 We have seen the cost of healthcare for a family go from maybe $500 a month a decade or two ago and now it is probably over $2,000 a month.2 Reasoning · 71 words So certainly the cost of healthcare, in so many ways, is driving inflation. This matters. It matters to the patients. It matters to the employers that are paying for the health insurance or a big portion of it. It matters to the Federal Government. If you are trying to balance the budget, if we could get the cost of healthcare under control, that would help us get toward a balanced budget. Claims · 21 words I mean, my goodness, it is a $7 trillion budget.3 Maybe $2 trillion, two-sevenths of our Federal budget, is on healthcare.4 Reasoning · 15 words So if there were more pricetags, it would help bring the cost of healthcare down; Procedure · 5 words actually, about $1,000 a month. Procedure Claims · 40 words If patients had pricetags, it could bring down the cost of healthcare $1,000 a month.5 No reason given Our bill, as you may know, came out of committee 22 to 1, good bipartisan support.6 Our bill has real teeth to it as well. Reasoning · 31 words Our belief is just like in all forms of business, transparency helps consumers. And that is what we are asking here. We are not asking anything different than any other business. Claims · 57 words We want total transparency so patients can look at the different prices. A healthcare provider would have to give their cost upfront, not an estimate; a real price upfront as well. And, again, I just can’t emphasize enough that this is bipartisan. It is ready to move, and that this is so important to the American consumer. Off point Procedure · 13 words I will stop there, and I will yield to my colleague from Louisiana. Procedure
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×36 Procedure ×3 Greeting ×2 Anecdote ×2 No reason given Off topic None of this speech addressed the bill under debate and what it would change.
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 74
7 of 44 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.
Greeting Greetings and pleasantries. What the tags mean → “thanks for letting us come to the floor,” A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Greeting Greetings and pleasantries. What the tags mean → “and I do appreciate my colleague Senator Bill Cassidy being here with me today as well.” A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “Could you imagine you are in the market and you need a new car, you need a new truck,” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “and you really need it badly--you don’t have a way to get to and from work--so you get online and you look at the different models out there and be expected to make a purchase without knowing what the cost of that truck or that car was?” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “actually, about $1,000 a month.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I will stop there,” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “and I will yield to my colleague from Louisiana.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 0
36 of 44 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.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Could you imagine you are in the market and you need a new car, you need a new truck,” About buying a car without knowing the price, as a comparison for healthcare, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 you really need it badly--you don’t have a way to get to and from work--so you get online and you look at the different models out there and be expected to make a purchase without knowing what the cost of that truck or that car was?” Continues the car-purchase comparison, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Well, that is the way healthcare is right now.” Turns the comparison to healthcare pricing, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 expect consumers to have all the healthcare delivered to them,” About healthcare delivery and billing, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 months later they get a bill for it.” About late healthcare bills, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 think that patients deserve pricetags just like consumers do in every other form of business.” Argues for healthcare price transparency, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “You think about the challenges of America today.” Opens a discussion of America’s cost-of-living challenges, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Certainly the cost of living is upfront,” About the cost of living, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 it is personal.” About the cost of living being personal, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 one of the big drivers of that cost is healthcare, health insurance.” About healthcare and insurance costs, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 have seen it go from 13 percent up to 18 percent of GDP.” Gives healthcare’s share of GDP, not anything on the college sports bill.
Off point 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 have seen the cost of healthcare for a family go from maybe $500 a month a decade or two ago and now it is probably over $2,000 a month.” Gives family healthcare cost figures, not anything on the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “So certainly the cost of healthcare, in so many ways, is driving inflation.” About healthcare costs driving inflation, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 matters.” States that the healthcare issue matters, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 matters to the patients.” About patients’ interest in the healthcare issue, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 matters to the employers that are paying for the health insurance or a big portion of it.” About employers paying for health insurance, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 matters to the Federal Government.” About the Federal Government’s interest in the healthcare issue, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “If you are trying to balance the budget,” About balancing the budget, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “if we could get the cost of healthcare under control, that would help us get toward a balanced budget.” Links healthcare costs to a balanced budget, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 mean, my goodness, it is a $7 trillion budget.” Cites the size of the Federal budget, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Maybe $2 trillion, two-sevenths of our Federal budget, is on healthcare.” Cites healthcare’s share of the Federal budget, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “So if there were more pricetags, it would help bring the cost of healthcare down;” Argues healthcare pricetags would lower healthcare costs, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “actually, about $1,000 a month.” Gives a healthcare savings figure, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “If patients had pricetags, it could bring down the cost of healthcare $1,000 a month.” Repeats the healthcare savings figure, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Our bill,” Refers to ‘our bill’, which the surrounding text ties to healthcare price transparency, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “as you may know, came out of committee 22 to 1, good bipartisan support.” Reports committee support for the healthcare transparency bill, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Our bill has real teeth to it as well.” Describes the healthcare bill’s provisions, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Our belief is just like in all forms of business, transparency helps consumers.” Argues transparency helps consumers in healthcare, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 that is what we are asking here.” States the request is for healthcare transparency, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 are not asking anything different than any other business.” Compares healthcare to other businesses, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 want total transparency so patients can look at the different prices.” Calls for healthcare price transparency, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “A healthcare provider would have to give their cost upfront, not an estimate;” Describes a healthcare provider pricing requirement, not the college sports bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “a real price upfront as well.” Describes a real-price requirement for healthcare, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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, again, I just can’t emphasize enough that this is bipartisan.” Stresses bipartisanship for the healthcare bill, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 is ready to move,” Says the healthcare bill is ready to move, not the college sports bill.
Off point 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 that this is so important to the American consumer.” Says the healthcare matter is important to consumers, not the college sports bill.
Reasoning · 75
1 of 44 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.
No reason given A conclusion stated with no reason given for it. What the tags mean → “If patients had pricetags, it could bring down the cost of healthcare $1,000 a month.” The dollar figure is asserted and repeated (c26) but no independent reason supports the amount.
Conclusions found · 4
Conclusion “So certainly the cost of healthcare, in so many ways, is driving inflation.”
Because “And one of the big drivers of that cost is healthcare, health insurance.”
“We have seen it go from 13 percent up to 18 percent of GDP.”
“We have seen the cost of healthcare for a family go from maybe $500 a month a decade or two ago and now it is probably over $2,000 a month.”
Conclusion “if we could get the cost of healthcare under control, that would help us get toward a balanced budget.”
Because “Maybe $2 trillion, two-sevenths of our Federal budget, is on healthcare.”
Conclusion “So if there were more pricetags, it would help bring the cost of healthcare down;”
Because “Our belief is just like in all forms of business, transparency helps consumers.”
“We are not asking anything different than any other business.”
Conclusion “If patients had pricetags, it could bring down the cost of healthcare $1,000 a month.”
Because No 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 · 100
0 of 44 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 · 6
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 “13 percent up to 18 percent of GDP” US healthcare spending rose from about 13 percent to 18 percent of GDP. search 2 “$500 a month a decade or two ago” Family health insurance cost rose from roughly $500 a month a decade or two ago to over $2,000 a month now. search 3 “it is a $7 trillion budget” The US federal budget is $7 trillion. search 4 “Maybe $2 trillion, two-sevenths of our Federal budget, is on healthcare” About $2 trillion of the US federal budget, roughly two-sevenths, goes to healthcare. search 5 “it could bring down the cost of healthcare $1,000 a month” The bill’s price transparency requirement could reduce healthcare costs by $1,000 a month. search 6 “came out of committee 22 to 1” The bill was reported out of committee by a vote of 22 to 1. search
