Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, the Constitution of the United States makes three references to religion. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights says that we have the right to believe or not believe as a matter of personal conscience and, secondly, that there will be no established government religion in the United States. The only other provision is in article VI, where it expressly says there will be no religious test for public office--three simple assertions which for over 200 years have guided this Nation in dealing with religion.

The statement just made by the Senator from South Dakota really tells me that he didn't tune in to the hearings that were held just a week or two ago when it came to Amy Coney Barrett. I did. I was there for all 4 days, start to finish, with maybe 10 minutes that I stepped aside. So I know what was said and who said it, and I know what the Democrats said, and I didn't believe there was one instance--not one--where any Democrat raised the issue of this nominee's religion. We took seriously what article VI says in the Constitution: There is no religious test for office.

I will state that on the other side of the aisle, there were frequent references to her religion--express references to her religion. That is their right as Senators to decide how they want to handle this issue. But the suggestion that I heard from the Senator from South Dakota tells me he did not follow the hearing and he didn't listen to it. Had he done so, he wouldn't have made the statements that he just did on the floor.

As a lifelong Catholic, I want to state that I have voted for Catholics to serve on every court, both the Supreme Court and other courts in the land, and I have voted against some as well. I take the admonition of the Constitution seriously. I don't take a person's religion into account when I cast a vote when it comes to a judge, nor should anyone if they follow this Constitution.

One last point I would like to make that was clearly wrong: When it came to the scurrilous and disgusting attacks on the adopted children of this nominee, the Senator from Louisiana spoke up against them, and so did I on the Democratic side. They are unacceptable on either side of the aisle, and for any Senators to suggest otherwise tells me he did not listen to the hearing itself.

I condemn the attack on her family, and I repeat that condemnation on the floor of the Senate today. For that Senator to ignore that fact troubles me greatly. I count him as a friend. I hope when he reads the record of the actual proceedings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he will come and clarify and correct his remarks.

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