Statement of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden on Senate Ricin Incident and Closure of Senate Office Buildings


February 3, 2004

“Today the U.S. Capitol Police closed all of the Senate office buildings due to the ricin that was discovered in Senator Frist’s office. While this has closed my Washington, D.C. offices, my D.C. staff and I are at still at work, some working in my small office within the Capitol building, and some are working from home. In addition, my offices in Oregon are all open and are assisting constituents. Every member of my staff – and all members of Congress and their staffs -- go to work each day with the knowledge that there are those who would threaten their lives in order to weaken our democracy. Most of my staffers lived through the discovery of anthrax in my office a couple of years ago. They didn’t back down to the terrorists back then, and they won’t now. In the meantime, keeping Senate employees healthy and safe is most important, and the Senate offices will reopen when their safety is assured.”


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