Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Jeff Merkley

Democrat on Unanimous Consent Request 2026-09-28

910 words · 53 sentences · 64 clauses

Statement grade

A–

Average 88 / 100

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

Procedure 10%Claims 69%Positioning 12%Reasoning 7%Anecdote 2%

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

Mr. President, Procedure · 25 wordsI come to the floor to propose that Democrats and Republicans join together to stop a monumentally horrific idea, an idea called Trump’s triumphal arch.Procedure Claims · 35 wordsIt distorts our history while destroying historic views. It disregards the Constitution’s separation of powers. It disrupts air safety at DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport, and it disrespects the sacrifices of our veterans and their families. Positioning · 8 wordsHow much worse could an idea possibly be?Positioning Claims · 61 wordsThen, when Trump encountered fierce pushback about this unfunded, unauthorized construction, he invoked a national security justification, saying the arch would house drones and snipers and ammunition.⁸ This is a replay of the justification that he used on his billion-dollar ballroom, gold-plated boondoggle. Those oversight procedures called an authorization by Congress and funding by Congress are absolutely inherent to our Constitution, No reason givenReasoning · 26 wordsand we should absolutely not be going forward or be allowing anything to go forward that so blatantly violates so much of what we stand for. Procedure · 10 wordsLet’s talk about why a memorial arch distorts our history.Procedure Reasoning · 21 wordsWe are a Republic. We are not a monarchy. We are not an imperial regime. It is called a democratic republic. Positioning · 14 wordsI would like the President of the United States to actually understand the difference.Positioning Claims · 110 wordsWith this arch, he is imitating what the Roman Empire did in commemorating great military victories and leaders. The Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, was commissioned in 1806 by Emperor Napoleon.¹ While Trump may fancy himself a modern American emperor, his war in Iran is hardly a great military victory. It is quite the opposite. It is a towering, 250-foot-tall edifice, topped with golden statues--twice as tall as the nearby Lincoln Memorial that has such a place in the heart of every American, 100 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe, ²³⁴⁵and 30 feet taller than the largest triumphal arch in the world--the Monumento a la Revolucion in Mexico City.⁶ Positioning · 10 wordsImitating emperors and authoritarians is not what America is about.Positioning Claims · 16 wordsConstructing things with no authorization and no funding is in violation of the separation of powers. Procedure · 6 wordsLet’s talk about disregarding the Constitution.Procedure Claims · 20 wordsUnder Federal law, only Congress has the power to approve the placement of new monuments and memorials on Federal lands.⁷ Reasoning · 21 wordsIt is written into law to ensure that memorials are the product of deliberation and consensus, accountability through the legislative process. Claims · 100 wordsBut there has been no legislative process in this Congress or any prior Congress that said something about putting a massive arch, disrupting the connection between the Mall and the Lincoln Monument and the Arlington Cemetery. No such discussion has taken place. No congressional deliberation. No congressional authorization. No congressional funding. And yet Trump is planning to divert funds from other accounts while American families are struggling--struggling--because of the high cost of gas and diesel and groceries, fertilizer. Everyone is hurting, Unearned certaintybut Trump wants to build this massive monument to himself in violation of the very premises of our Constitution. Positioning · 15 wordsAnd now he has this brilliant idea. He says he is the smartest man around.Positioning Claims · 18 wordsHis brilliant idea is to launch drones into the air in the runway up to the Reagan Airport. Positioning · 19 wordsCan someone please explain to him that launching drones into the air with oncoming jets is a bad idea.Positioning Claims · 61 wordsJust last year, 67 civilians were killed in a flash of light when a plane collided there with a military helicopter.⁹ In August of this year, the Presidential helicopter Marine One lifted off at the same time as a jet was taking off from the airport, ¹⁰and that gave a lot of people anxiety. They did not hit each other, thankfully, Positioning · 7 wordsbut close calls are scary as hell.Positioning Claims · 41 wordsAnd now Trump says the arch will house a large number of drones to be launched up in the air to counter national security threats. Launching drones directly into the approach of DC’s airports is a reckless invitation for a collision. Positioning · 13 wordsAnd Trump’s proposed arch disrespects the sacrifices of our veterans and their families.Positioning Anecdote · 17 wordsBack when I was working for the Secretary of Defense, I traveled through Arlington Cemetery a lot.Anecdote Claims · 43 wordsIt is a sacred place. More than 400,000 military servicemembers are laid to rest there across the river.¹¹ The Americans buried there died defending a Republic by and for the people, not defending a dictator or a sovereign, not defending an imperial regime. Positioning · 19 wordsA triumphal arch in the tradition of dictators and authoritarians is an insult to their sacrifice defending our Republic.Positioning Claims · 112 wordsVeterans and their families have come forth and said: Please don’t do this. The observation deck that Trump wants to build violates the solemnity of the cemetery’s hallowed grounds. As one Gold Star mother put it--a Gold Star mother is someone who lost her son or daughter in battle--she said: So this arch, it distorts our very premise and soul of our country as a Republic. It disregards the separation of powers of our Constitution. It disrupts the air safety of DC’s Reagan National Airport, and it disrespects the services and the sacrifices of our veterans buried at Arlington Cemetery. This legislation is very simple and cosponsored by several of my colleagues, Procedure · 5 wordsand it simply says this: ProcedureClaims · 10 wordsthat this arch cannot be built without authorization in law. Mr. President, Procedure · 47 wordsas if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of this bill at the desk and that the bill be considered read three times and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.Procedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 68

15 of 17 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 come to the floor to propose that Democrats and Republicans join together to stop a monumentally horrific idea, an idea called Trump’s triumphal arch.”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 “How much worse could an idea possibly be?”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 “Let’s talk about why a memorial arch distorts our history.”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 “I would like the President of the United States to actually understand the difference.”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 “Imitating emperors and authoritarians is not what America is about.”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 “Let’s talk about disregarding the Constitution.”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 “And now he has this brilliant idea.”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 “He says he is the smartest man around.”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 “Can someone please explain to him that launching drones into the air with oncoming jets is a bad idea.”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 “but close calls are scary as hell.”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 “And Trump’s proposed arch disrespects the sacrifices of our veterans and their families.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “Back when I was working for the Secretary of Defense, I traveled through Arlington Cemetery a lot.”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 “A triumphal arch in the tradition of dictators and authoritarians is an insult to their sacrifice defending our Republic.”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 “and it simply says this:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of this bill at the desk and that the bill be considered read three times and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.”Procedure or throat-clearing: 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 · 83

1 of 17 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.

A conclusion stated with no reason given for it.What the tags mean “Those oversight procedures called an authorization by Congress and funding by Congress are absolutely inherent to our Constitution,”The clause asserts the constitutional point itself, and no other clause offers a separate premise for it.

Conclusions found · 6

Conclusion“I come to the floor to propose that Democrats and Republicans join together to stop a monumentally horrific idea, an idea called Trump’s triumphal arch.”

Because“It distorts our history while destroying historic views.”

“It disregards the Constitution’s separation of powers.”

“It disrupts air safety at DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport,”

“and it disrespects the sacrifices of our veterans and their families.”

“Under Federal law, only Congress has the power to approve the placement of new monuments and memorials on Federal lands.”

“But there has been no legislative process in this Congress or any prior Congress that said something about putting a massive arch, disrupting the connection between the Mall and the Lincoln Monument and the Arlington Cemetery.”

“His brilliant idea is to launch drones into the air in the runway up to the Reagan Airport.”

“Launching drones directly into the approach of DC’s airports is a reckless invitation for a collision.”

“A triumphal arch in the tradition of dictators and authoritarians is an insult to their sacrifice defending our Republic.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Those oversight procedures called an authorization by Congress and funding by Congress are absolutely inherent to our Constitution,”

BecauseNo reason given

No reason givenThe clause asserts the constitutional point itself, and no other clause offers a separate premise for it.
Conclusion“and we should absolutely not be going forward or be allowing anything to go forward that so blatantly violates so much of what we stand for.”

Because“Those oversight procedures called an authorization by Congress and funding by Congress are absolutely inherent to our Constitution,”

“Under Federal law, only Congress has the power to approve the placement of new monuments and memorials on Federal lands.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Constructing things with no authorization and no funding is in violation of the separation of powers.”

Because“Those oversight procedures called an authorization by Congress and funding by Congress are absolutely inherent to our Constitution,”

“Under Federal law, only Congress has the power to approve the placement of new monuments and memorials on Federal lands.”

Reason given
Conclusion“Launching drones directly into the approach of DC’s airports is a reckless invitation for a collision.”

Because“His brilliant idea is to launch drones into the air in the runway up to the Reagan Airport.”

“Just last year, 67 civilians were killed in a flash of light when a plane collided there with a military helicopter.”

“In August of this year, the Presidential helicopter Marine One lifted off at the same time as a jet was taking off from the airport,”

Reason given
Conclusion“A triumphal arch in the tradition of dictators and authoritarians is an insult to their sacrifice defending our Republic.”

Because“Imitating emperors and authoritarians is not what America is about.”

“The Americans buried there died defending a Republic by and for the people, not defending a dictator or a sovereign, not defending an imperial regime.”

Reason given

Respect · 100

0 of 17 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 · 99

1 of 17 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.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “Everyone is hurting”Asserts a universal condition for all Americans with no source or evidence offered.

Claims · 11

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“The Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, was commissioned in 1806 by Emperor Napoleon.”The Arc de Triomphe in Paris was commissioned in 1806 by Emperor Napoleon.search
2“It is a towering, 250-foot-tall edifice, topped with golden statues--twice as tall as the nearby Lincoln Memorial that has such a place in the heart of every American, 100 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe, ”search
3“a towering, 250-foot-tall edifice, topped with golden statues”The proposed triumphal arch is 250 feet tall and topped with golden statues.search
4“twice as tall as the nearby Lincoln Memorial”The proposed arch is twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial.search
5“100 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe”The proposed arch is 100 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.search
6“30 feet taller than the largest triumphal arch in the world--the Monumento a la Revolucion in Mexico City”The proposed arch is 30 feet taller than the Monumento a la Revolucion in Mexico City, described as the largest triumphal arch in the world.search
7“only Congress has the power to approve the placement of new monuments and memorials on Federal lands”Federal law gives only Congress the power to approve the placement of new monuments and memorials on federal lands.search
8“he invoked a national security justification, saying the arch would house drones and snipers and ammunition”Trump said the arch would house drones, snipers, and ammunition, invoking a national security justification.search
9“Just last year, 67 civilians were killed in a flash of light when a plane collided there with a military helicopter.”In 2025, 67 civilians were killed when a plane collided with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport.search
10“In August of this year, the Presidential helicopter Marine One lifted off at the same time as a jet was taking off from the airport”In August 2026, the presidential helicopter Marine One lifted off at the same time as a jet was taking off from Reagan National Airport.search
11“More than 400,000 military servicemembers are laid to rest there”More than 400,000 military servicemembers are buried at Arlington Cemetery.search

Analyzed on 2026-10-20