New Daschle letter causes anthrax alarm

The Hart Senate Office Building is still closed because of anthrax

A suspicious letter found in the office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has tested negative for anthrax.

The letter contained a "threatening note and powdery substance," said Lieutenant Dan Nichols, a spokesman for the Capitol Police.

Police cordoned off the area near the letter on the second floor of the Capitol and restricted movement on the third floor as a precaution.

The suspicious letter, like all mail entering the Capitol building since 17 October, had been irradiated before it was delivered, a government official said.

On that date, a letter containing anthrax spores was opened in Senator Daschle's office, exposing dozens of congressional workers to the deadly bacteria.

The attack forced the Senate and House of Representatives to suspend operations for a while, and the Hart Senate Office Building, where Senator Daschle's office is located, remains closed.

This time, the letter was opened in Senator Daschle's second-floor suite in the Capitol itself. He was not in at the time.