Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Richard J. Durbin

Democrat on Nomination of Matthew R. Byrne (Executive Session) 2026-09-15

235 words · 10 sentences · 12 clauses

Statement grade

Average 94 / 100

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

Claims 84%Positioning 11%The ask 5%

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

Madam President, Claims · 20 wordstoday, the Senate will vote to confirm Matthew Byrne to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.¹ Positioning · 15 wordsJudge Byrne is one of the most extreme anti-choice judicial nominees the Senate has considered.Positioning Claims · 91 wordsWhile serving as a visiting justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, he objected to the court’s dismissal of a case defending the State’s abortion ban even after voters’ decision to enshrine reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution.² While campaigning to be a State court judge, Judge Byrne stated that he opposed abortion for any reason other than to protect the life of the mother.³ He opposed exceptions for rape or incest and further wrote: ⁴``I believe the `life of the mother’ should be strictly defined so as to avoid creating loopholes.’’⁵ Positioning · 11 wordsJudge Byrne’s extreme views extend beyond his opposition to reproductive rights.Positioning Claims · 87 wordsNearly 5 years after the Supreme Court recognized the right to same-sex marriage, he stated that he still believed the judiciary does not possess the authority to expand the definition of marriage to include anything but one man and one woman.⁶ Judge Byrne has also written: ``There is no reference to a `right to privacy’ in the Constitution.’’⁷ In his public commentary and his judicial decisions, Judge Byrne has repeatedly demonstrated his extreme views and how he will rule if he is confirmed to the Federal bench. The ask · 11 wordsI oppose his nomination and urge my colleagues to join me.

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 87

2 of 2 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.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Judge Byrne is one of the most extreme anti-choice judicial nominees the Senate has considered.”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 “Judge Byrne’s extreme views extend beyond his opposition to reproductive rights.”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.

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 2 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 · 7

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 Senate will vote to confirm Matthew Byrne to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio”On September 15, 2026, the Senate was scheduled to vote on confirming Matthew Byrne to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.search
2“serving as a visiting justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, he objected to the court’s dismissal of a case defending the State’s abortion ban”Matthew Byrne, while serving as a visiting justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, objected to the court’s dismissal of a case defending Ohio’s abortion ban, which followed voters enshrining reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution.search
3“he opposed abortion for any reason other than to protect the life of the mother”While campaigning for a State judgeship, Matthew Byrne stated he opposed abortion for any reason other than to protect the life of the mother.search
4“He opposed exceptions for rape or incest”Matthew Byrne opposed exceptions for rape or incest in abortion restrictions.search
5“I believe the `life of the mother’ should be strictly defined so as to avoid creating loopholes”Matthew Byrne wrote that the ‘life of the mother’ exception to abortion bans should be strictly defined to avoid loopholes.search
6“he stated that he still believed the judiciary does not possess the authority to expand the definition of marriage to include anything but one man and one woman”Nearly five years after the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, Matthew Byrne stated he believed the judiciary lacks authority to expand the definition of marriage beyond one man and one woman.search
7“There is no reference to a `right to privacy’ in the Constitution”Matthew Byrne wrote that there is no reference to a ‘right to privacy’ in the U.S. Constitution.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-17