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Congressional lawmakers speaking at lower level

A new study by the non-profit Sunlight Foundation shows our congressional representatives are speaking at a high school level, but one grade lower than they wer...

A new study by the non-profit Sunlight Foundation shows our congressional representatives are speaking at a high school level, but one grade lower than they were last year.

The study of the speeches of senators and representatives revealed the overall speaking level of congress dropped from eleventh grade to tenth grade - as lawmakers seem to use more YouTube-ready talking points.

When it comes to Illinois lawmakers, Republican Representative Joe Walsh barely speaks at a ninth grade level, while Democratic Representative Danny Davis speaks like a college freshman.

In Iowa, Republican Representative Steve King's speeches are the lowest, at a ninth grade level -- while Republican Representative Tom Latham orates like a high school senior.

Overall, the lowest level of speaking comes from Florida Republican Representative Connie Mack, who's at a sixth grade level.  California Republican Representative Dan Lungren is the smartest speaker, speaking at a level beyond a master's degree.

Source: Sunlight Foundation analysis of the Congressional Record using Capitol Words

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