Source: Politics<\/p>\n
The mother of fallen Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick is requesting meetings with GOP senators to push them to support a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which Republicans are poised to block as soon as Thursday.<\/p>\n
Gladys Sicknick is seeking sit-downs with every single Senate GOP office on Thursday to emphasize \u201cthe importance\u201d of establishing an independent body to investigate the deadly insurrection, according to a copy of one of the scheduling request emails obtained by POLITICO. Brian Sicknick died a day following his response to the Jan. 6 attack after suffering from a stroke.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot having a January 6 Commission to look into exactly what occurred is a slap in the faces of all the officers who did their jobs that day,\u201d Gladys Sicknick said in a statement provided to POLITICO. \u201cI suggest that all Congressmen and Senators who are against this Bill visit my son\u2019s grave in Arlington National Cemetery and, while there, think about what their hurtful decisions will do to those officers who will be there for them going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPutting politics aside, wouldn\u2019t they want to know the truth of what happened on January 6? If not, they do not deserve to have the jobs they were elected to do,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
A measure to set up the commission passed the House last week with the support of every single Democrat and 35 Republicans. But that legislation is on shaky ground<\/a> in the Senate, where 10 Republicans would need to get on board in order to circumvent a filibuster. So far, only a few GOP lawmakers \u2014 including Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska \u2014 have signaled support for the proposal. Even then, they want to see changes made.<\/p>\n Several Republicans indicated they\u2019d be willing to sit down with Sicknick\u2019s mother, including Collins, Romney and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, as well as South Carolina Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott.<\/p>\n Others, such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas or Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, deferred comment to their offices or said they had not received the meeting request yet.<\/p>\n Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has warned his members<\/a> behind closed doors that the release of the commission\u2019s findings could drag into the height of the 2022 election cycle, when both the Senate and House majorities are up for grabs. Former President Donald Trump has also come out swinging against the commission and slammed the House Republicans who voted for it.<\/p>\n But Republicans are facing mounting political pressure, including from some in the law enforcement community, to get behind the proposed commission. D.C. Police officer Michael Fanone, who was severely injured on the job while responding to the Jan. 6 attack, has been seeking a meeting with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.<\/p>\n