Reid staff being tested for anthrax exposure

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2001 | 10:48 a.m.

Staff members from Nevada Sen. Harry Reid's Hart Building office on Capitol Hill were being tested for anthrax this morning after traces of the deadly bacteria were reported to be in the building's ventilation system.

This came amid the disclosure that more than two dozen people in the Hart Building office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota tested positive for what was being described as a highly potent form of anthrax. The bacteria was first discovered in a letter sent to Daschle's office this week.

"It's weapons grade anthrax," said Nathan Naylor, Reid's press secretary. "It's been finely milled. Somebody went through a lot of trouble to make sure this stuff was very deadly."

Conflicting reports surfaced late in the morning about whether anthrax spores actually were found in the Hart Building's ventilation system. House Speaker Dennis Hastert told reporters spores turned up in tests, but Senate sources said no spores were discovered.

Naylor, however, said most of the 40 staffers in the office, from interns to Reid's chief of staff, Susan McCue, were being tested as a precautionary measure.

"We share the building with Senator Daschle's office," he said. "Right now we're being safe rather than sorry."

McCue said there were long lines of people waiting to be tested, but that no one appeared to be panicking.

"Everyone is remaining calm," McCue said. "It's somewhat unnerving, but we're taking the tests to make sure everyone is safe and healthy."

Both McCue and Naylor said they did not know whether Reid, the Senate's assistant majority leader, was being tested. The senator was holed up in a leadership meeting about the anthrax scare most of the morning.

"Our spirits are up, but at the same time most of us are angry at the people that want to try to kill us by using the mail," Naylor said. "It's a cowardly crime."

Naylor, who was waiting in line to be tested as he spoke to a reporter on his cellular phone, said office employees were briefed by Capitol Hill doctors late Tuesday about anthrax and encouraged to get tested.

Traci Scott, press secretary to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said no one from the senator's office was being tested as of this morning. Ensign's office is in the nearby Russell Building.

Ironically, the latest scare came as Reid and Ensign held a satellite news conference Tuesday afternoon with Nevada reporters to calm fears about anthrax in the state.

Both said the anthrax scare in the nation was being overblown.

"The chances of anybody dying from anthrax in America is very slim," Ensign said.

Reid urged Nevadans not to worry, saying anthrax is a "very treatable" disease.

In Carson City, meanwhile, an anthrax scare was reported Tuesday at the secretary of state's office.

About 50 workers were evacuated from their offices about 10:30 a.m. in the annex across the street from the state Capitol after a mysterious white substance appeared on the lap of a female employee who was opening mail, Heller said.

Authorities were summoned, and the office was closed for the afternoon. It was reopened this morning after the substance tested negative for anthrax.

Sun reporter Cy Ryan contributed to this report.