Mother of deceased Capitol Police officer asks senators to back Jan. 6 commission


Gladys Sicknick, the mother of a Capitol Police officer who collapsed during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and later died, is asking Republican senators to pass legislation creating a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection.
In a statement, Gladys Sicknick suggested that "all congressmen and senators who are against this bill" visit the grave of her son, Brian Sicknick, at 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. Putting politics aside, wouldn't they want to know the truth of what happened on Jan. 6?"
The bill passed the House with the support of 35 Republicans, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said the GOP needs to block the commission because it would litigate the actions of former President Donald Trump and "continue to debate things that have been done in the past."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The riot started when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying President Biden's victory, after Trump falsely claimed the election was rigged against him and urged his supporters to "fight like hell." The violent attack left dozens of officers injured, and four of the rioters died, including one who was shot by law enforcement as she attempted to climb through a broken door into the Speaker's Lobby.
The bill needs 60 votes to pass, and so far, just three Republicans have indicated they will likely back the legislation — Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who wants to make small changes to it. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he will hold a procedural vote on Thursday, adding that Congress "is not going to just sweep Jan. 6 under the rug."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Icarus programme – the ‘internet of animals’
The Explainer Researchers aim to monitor 100,000 animals worldwide with GPS trackers, using data to understand climate change and help predict disasters and pandemics
-
Experience Tanzania’s untamed wilderness from Lemala’s luxury lodges
The Week Recommends The vast protected landscapes are transformed into a verdant paradise during ‘emerald season’
-
Crossword: October 9, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US