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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. Reasoning rests on one conclusion, too few to hold the grade down. 30 / 100, held down by Relevance
Signal
88 / 100
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Relevance
0 / 100
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Reasoning
87 / 100
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Respect
–
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Clarity
71 / 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.
Positioning 6% Claims 57% Thanks 4% Promise 32% Procedure 1%
Structure · 13 steps
Claims · 5
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Madam President, Positioning · 11 words I am disappointed in my good friend Senator Markey of Massachusetts. Positioning Claims · 43 words He and I have worked on, actually, a lot of fisheries issues together. He is right; Massachusetts and the State of Alaska have important fisheries interests. This one, fortunately, doesn’t impact Massachusetts at all; it is solely confined to the North Pacific area.5 Positioning · 12 words So I am a little disappointed that he is not moving forward. Positioning Thanks · 15 words I want to thank all of my Republican colleagues who cleared my Bycatch Reduction Act, 4 Thanks Promise · 19 words and we are going to keep working on it. Vague promise I certainly will continue working on it with Senator Markey. Claims · 131 words Like I said, we have worked together on a number of fisheries issues over the years, and we are going to continue to work on hitting the bycatch issue with a multifaceted approach, Vague promise as we have already done. One of the things we have gotten done here in the Senate, in both the Biden and Trump administrations, is to dramatically ban the importation of all Russian trawl-caught fish and now Chinese trawl-caught fish.1 That really helps with regard to the bycatch issue. We have been very focused on increasing the annual appropriations for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program that I have led on a number of times.3 I have even defended in court our Alaska halibut fishermen against Seattle-based Amendment 80 trawlers in a lawsuit and won that case with them.2 Promise · 42 words We are going to continue this work, building on the work from the legislation we passed for the roadmap to get back stronger salmon runs in Alaska and stronger fisheries with regard to salmon runs across species, across rivers, across the States, Vague promise Claims · 17 words but this bill is a really important part of that, so I will continue to work this. Vague promise Promise · 37 words If the Senator from Massachusetts and his staff have edits and amendments, I don’t think it is going to impact Massachusetts at all, to be honest, but we will work with them because we are very focused. Vague promise Claims · 22 words My constituents are very focused to finally see action on trawl-bycatch reduction, and this bill is the bill with action and timelines, Promise · 21 words and we are going to get it over the goal line. Vague promise We are going to get it over the goal line. Off point Procedure · 4 words I yield the floor. Procedure
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×26 Vague promise ×6 Positioning ×2 Thanks Procedure 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 · 88
4 of 36 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.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “I am disappointed in my good friend Senator Markey of Massachusetts.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “So I am a little disappointed that he is not moving forward.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks Thanks and tributes. What the tags mean → “I want to thank all of my Republican colleagues who cleared my Bycatch Reduction Act,” Thanks: 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 yield the floor.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 0
26 of 36 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 → “I am disappointed in my good friend Senator Markey of Massachusetts.” A remark about another senator’s conduct, not about the labor 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 → “He and I have worked on, actually, a lot of fisheries issues together.” About past fisheries work with a colleague, not about the labor 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 → “He is right;” A remark about another senator’s position, not about the labor 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 → “Massachusetts and the State of Alaska have important fisheries interests.” About fisheries interests of two states, not about the labor 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 one, fortunately, doesn’t impact Massachusetts at all;” About the geographic reach of a fisheries bill, not the labor 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 → “it is solely confined to the North Pacific area.” About the geographic reach of a fisheries bill, not the labor 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 → “So I am a little disappointed that he is not moving forward.” A remark about another senator’s position on the fisheries bill, not about the labor 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 want to thank all of my Republican colleagues who cleared my Bycatch Reduction Act,” Thanks colleagues for action on a bycatch bill, not the labor 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 → “and we are going to keep working on it.” About continuing work on the bycatch bill, not the labor 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 certainly will continue working on it with Senator Markey.” About future work with a colleague on bycatch, not the labor 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 → “Like I said, we have worked together on a number of fisheries issues over the years,” About a history of fisheries cooperation, not about the labor 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 we are going to continue to work on hitting the bycatch issue with a multifaceted approach,” About a strategy on bycatch, not about the labor 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 we have already done.” About past fisheries work, not about the labor 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 → “One of the things we have gotten done here in the Senate, in both the Biden and Trump administrations, is to dramatically ban the importation of all Russian trawl-caught fish and now Chinese trawl-caught fish.” About bans on imported Russian and Chinese fish, a subject the labor bill does not touch.
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 → “That really helps with regard to the bycatch issue.” About effects of fish import bans on bycatch, not the labor 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 been very focused on increasing the annual appropriations for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program that I have led on a number of times.” About appropriations for a bycatch program, a subject the labor bill does not cover.
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 have even defended in court our Alaska halibut fishermen against Seattle-based Amendment 80 trawlers in a lawsuit and won that case with them.” About the speaker’s litigation on behalf of halibut fishermen, not the labor 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 going to continue this work, building on the work from the legislation we passed for the roadmap to get back stronger salmon runs in Alaska and stronger fisheries with regard to salmon runs across species, across rivers, across the States,” About past salmon fisheries legislation, not the labor 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 → “but this bill is a really important part of that,” Describes a bill as part of a salmon fisheries roadmap, not the labor bill’s collective bargaining subject.
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 I will continue to work this.” About continuing work on the fisheries measure, not the labor 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 the Senator from Massachusetts and his staff have edits and amendments, I don’t think it is going to impact Massachusetts at all, to be honest,” About amendments to the fisheries bill and their effect on a state, not the labor 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 → “but we will work with them because we are very focused.” About cooperating on the fisheries bill, not the labor 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 → “My constituents are very focused to finally see action on trawl-bycatch reduction,” About constituents seeking action on trawl bycatch, not the labor 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 this bill is the bill with action and timelines,” Praises a bill with action and timelines on bycatch, not the labor bill’s subject of collective bargaining.
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 we are going to get it over the goal line.” About passing the bycatch bill, not the labor 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 → “We are going to get it over the goal line.” About passing the bycatch bill, not the labor bill under debate.
Reasoning · 87
0 of 36 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.
Nothing lost points.
Conclusions found · 1
Conclusion “That really helps with regard to the bycatch issue.”
Because “One of the things we have gotten done here in the Senate, in both the Biden and Trump administrations, is to dramatically ban the importation of all Russian trawl-caught fish and now Chinese trawl-caught fish.”
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 · 71
6 of 36 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.
Vague promise A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible. What the tags mean → “we are going to keep working on it” A commitment to continued effort with no date, measure, or success condition.
Vague promise A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible. What the tags mean → “we are going to continue to work on hitting the bycatch issue” Promises ongoing work with no actor beyond ‘we’, no timeline, and no defined outcome.
Vague promise A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible. What the tags mean → “We are going to continue this work” A forward commitment with no date, measure, or success condition attached.
Vague promise A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible. What the tags mean → “I will continue to work this” A promise of continued effort with no stated action, date, or measure of success.
Vague promise A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible. What the tags mean → “we will work with them” A cooperation commitment with no date, process, or outcome specified.
Vague promise A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible. What the tags mean → “we are going to get it over the goal line” Asserts the bill will pass with no date, path, or condition attached.
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 “ban the importation of all Russian trawl-caught fish and now Chinese trawl-caught fish” The United States has banned the importation of Russian trawl-caught fish and Chinese trawl-caught fish, with actions taken during both the Biden and Trump administrations. search 2 “defended in court our Alaska halibut fishermen against Seattle-based Amendment 80 trawlers in a lawsuit and won that case” Dan Sullivan represented Alaska halibut fishermen in a lawsuit against Seattle-based Amendment 80 trawlers and won. search 3 “increasing the annual appropriations for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program” Annual appropriations for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program have been increased, with Sullivan leading those efforts. search 4 “cleared my Bycatch Reduction Act” Sullivan’s Bycatch Reduction Act has been cleared by Republican Senate colleagues. search 5 “it is solely confined to the North Pacific area” The bill’s bycatch provisions apply solely to the North Pacific area. search
