[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4703-S4704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Matthew R. Byrne

  Mr. DURBIN. 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

[[Page S4704]]

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.