Richard J. Durbin

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Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Matthew Byrne to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Judge Byrne is one of the most extreme anti-choice judicial nominees the Senate has considered. While 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. 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. He opposed exceptions for rape or incest and further wrote: ``I believe the `life of the mother' should be strictly defined so as to avoid creating loopholes.'' Judge Byrne's extreme views extend beyond his opposition to reproductive rights. Nearly 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. Judge Byrne has also written: ``There is no reference to a `right to privacy' in the Constitution.'' 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. I oppose his nomination and urge my colleagues to join me.