Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Andy Kim

Democrat on Directing the President, Pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to Remove United States Armed Forces from Hostilities with Iran 2026-09-24

735 words · 29 sentences · 40 clauses

Statement grade

C+

65 / 100, held down by Signal

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

Thanks 6%Claims 23%Anecdote 29%Positioning 24%Procedure 1%Reasoning 12%The ask 5%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Madam President, Thanks · 22 wordsI want to thank my colleagues Senator Warner and Senator Schatz for working with me and working on this project going forward.Thanks Claims · 94 wordsI actually find this experience here being on the Senate floor right now really important because we are here because this is what the American people want. The American people want their elected leaders to be focused on the concerns and the threats that they worry about, that keep them up at night. As mentioned by my colleague from Hawaii, I come to this Chamber as somebody who served in national security, someone who served under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, in war zones in Afghanistan to the Situation Room at the White House.¹ Anecdote · 212 wordsThis path of mine started just a little over 25 years ago when I saw from my own home State of New Jersey the threats that we faced on national security because of September 11.² I was not someone who thought I was going into national security until that day, but by 6 p.m. on September 11, I said that I am going to do and dedicate the rest of my life to doing everything I can to try to keep this country safe.Vague promise Yes, that led to a lot of work in war zones and on counterterrorism, but it was always about this broader goal of, how do we ensure that safety? I come at this now not just as someone who is concerned about national security but as a father of two little boys, one of whom just celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday. And as excited as I am about seeing these two little boys grow up, I will be honest with you, I worry about what kind of world they are growing up in, the level of anxiety that I have as I see the type of technology that will define their generation. It will define not just their jobs and their education but so much about their security.Anecdote Positioning · 30 wordsSo I think about them because it is not just us here in this Chamber; we are here because we are trying to answer the call of the American people.Positioning Claims · 33 wordsI just did a townhall the other week. Overwhelmingly, people are calling upon us, saying that they want urgency; they want this Chamber to move with the speed of urgency that they feel. Positioning · 25 wordsSo what I appreciate here is that we are engaged in this effort right now to do one simple thing, which is meet the moment.Positioning Procedure · 6 wordsThat has a lot of implications, ProcedurePositioning · 45 wordsbut one is just the fact that no Senator in this Chamber is going to have all the answers. There is not a single one of us that knows all the answers. Neither do all the tech leaders. They don’t know all the answers either.Positioning Reasoning · 88 wordsBut that cannot be an excuse for inaction; that, instead, we should channel that humility and that urgency to be able to move forward and recognize we do not have time to be able to design something that will handle the entirety of all the concerns we face when it comes to AI and this technology we are concerned about but just say: Look, we need to be able to move forward, to show some progress, to show some responsiveness to the concerns raised by the American people. Claims · 34 wordsI think this legislation is that effort to try to come up with tangible things that will move the needle. It is not going to solve all the problems, but that is the point. Positioning · 72 wordsIt is about trying to build up that muscle memory in this Chamber that we need to find. It is a muscle memory that this Chamber has found in the past when it has confronted different national security challenges in the past. We need to find that yet again at a time of great division in this country but setting it aside for us to be able to, again, meet this moment.Positioning Thanks · 22 wordsSo I am just grateful, again, for the leadership of Senator Warner, Senator Schatz, and other Senators that we are engaged with.Thanks The ask · 39 wordsThis is an invitation to others to join this effort to stand up and say: Let’s get something done. Let’s not get totally bogged down in just the divisions that we see stalling progress on so many other fronts. Claims · 9 wordsThe American people are demanding of us to act. Positioning · 4 wordsNow is our time.Positioning

At a glance

Lost points for
Little substanceMuch of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.
Reasons givenThis statement drew 3 conclusions and gave a reason for each one.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 35

24 of 25 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.

Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “I want to thank my colleagues Senator Warner and Senator Schatz for working with me and working on this project going forward.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “This path of mine started just a little over 25 years ago when I saw from my own home State of New Jersey the threats that we faced on national security because of September 11.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I was not someone who thought I was going into national security until that day,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “but by 6 p.m. on September 11, I said that I am going to do and dedicate the rest of my life to doing everything I can to try to keep this country safe.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “Yes, that led to a lot of work in war zones and on counterterrorism,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “but it was always about this broader goal of, how do we ensure that safety?”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I come at this now not just as someone who is concerned about national security but as a father of two little boys, one of whom just celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday.”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 as excited as I am about seeing these two little boys grow up, I will be honest with you, I worry about what kind of world they are growing up in, the level of anxiety that I have as I see the type of technology that will define their generation.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “It will define not just their jobs and their education but so much about their security.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “So I think about them because it is not just us here in this Chamber;”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 “we are here because we are trying to answer the call of the American people.”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 “So what I appreciate here is that we are engaged in this effort right now to do one simple thing,”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 “which is meet the moment.”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 “That has a lot of implications,”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 “but one is just the fact that no Senator in this Chamber is going to have all the answers.”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 “There is not a single one of us that knows all the answers.”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 “Neither do all the tech leaders.”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 “They don’t know all the answers either.”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 about trying to build up that muscle memory in this Chamber that we need to find.”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 a muscle memory that this Chamber has found in the past when it has confronted different national security challenges in the past.”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 “We need to find that yet again at a time of great division in this country but setting it aside for us to be able to, again, meet this moment.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “So I am just grateful, again, for the leadership of Senator Warner, Senator Schatz,”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “and other Senators that we are engaged with.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Now is our time.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Reasoning · 100

0 of 25 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 · 3

Conclusion“But that cannot be an excuse for inaction;”

Because“There is not a single one of us that knows all the answers.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Look, we need to be able to move forward, to show some progress, to show some responsiveness to the concerns raised by the American people.”

Because“There is not a single one of us that knows all the answers.”

“Overwhelmingly, people are calling upon us, saying that they want urgency;”

Reason given
Conclusion“Now is our time.”

Because“Overwhelmingly, people are calling upon us, saying that they want urgency;”

“The American people are demanding of us to act.”

Reason given

Respect · 100

0 of 25 deductions are Respect

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.

Nothing lost points.

Clarity · 100

1 of 25 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 “but by 6 p.m. on September 11, I said that I am going to do and dedicate the rest of my life to doing everything I can to try to keep this country safe.”A lifelong commitment with no specified action, measure, or way to judge success.

Claims · 2

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“somebody who served in national security, someone who served under both Republican and Democratic Presidents”Andy Kim served in national security roles under both Republican and Democratic Presidents.search
2“started just a little over 25 years ago when I saw from my own home State of New Jersey the threats that we faced on national security because of September 11”Andy Kim’s national security career began after he witnessed the September 11 attacks from his home State of New Jersey, a little over 25 years before 2026.search

Analyzed on 2026-10-20