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American Morning
Reopening of Senate Offices Starting Today
Aired February 05, 2004 - 08:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The reopening of the Senate offices is starting today. Three buildings have been closed since Monday, when ricin was discovered in a mailroom that serves the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Frist says no one has gotten sick and he has no idea how the deadly toxin got into the building.
Jeanne Meserve is live now at the Capitol with the very latest -- Jeanne, good morning to you.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
The Russell Senate Office Building due to open in just a couple of hours and by Monday the Dirkson Building, where the ricin was found, scheduled to reopen. This possible because no further traces of ricin have been found, although the collection and examination of mail from throughout the Capitol complex does continue, as does the analysis of the ricin itself.
The head of the U.S. Capitol police says as to now they have found -- they have not found what he calls a smoking letter or any other significant clues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, CAPITOL POLICE: No one has complained or taken credit for this or blame. But we are examining, clearly, anything ricin related. And prudent investigators will do that. So we have neither ruled something in, nor ruled it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Among the ricin related things they are looking at, two letters that were sent with vials of ricin, one of them found at a postal facility in Greeneville, South Carolina; the other intercepted on its way to the White House. The Secret Service now admitting that it waited too long, several days, to inform the FBI and other agencies about that White House letter. A spokesman saying, "We've made some changes to our protocol. We realize it's important to have prompt notification."
Still, no one ill from the ricin and we're slated to have an update from the Capitol police at 1:00 Eastern -- Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: Also, Jeanne, some senators are responding and saying that they actually were not informed either, had no idea why these offices were closed.
MESERVE: I'm sorry, Heidi, I'm having a little bit of difficulty hearing you here because of the traffic.
Could you repeat that question for me, please?
COLLINS: I'm just wondering, we had heard from some senators that they also had no idea why the offices were closed on that day.
MESERVE: I'm sorry, I'm just having too much problem hearing you, Heidi.
I'm sorry.
COLLINS: OK, Jeanne.
No worries. No worries.
MESERVE: OK.
COLLINS: Thanks so much, Jeanne Meserve with the very latest on the ricin scare at the Capitol.
MESERVE: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 5, 2004 - 08:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The reopening of the Senate offices is starting today. Three buildings have been closed since Monday, when ricin was discovered in a mailroom that serves the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Frist says no one has gotten sick and he has no idea how the deadly toxin got into the building.
Jeanne Meserve is live now at the Capitol with the very latest -- Jeanne, good morning to you.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
The Russell Senate Office Building due to open in just a couple of hours and by Monday the Dirkson Building, where the ricin was found, scheduled to reopen. This possible because no further traces of ricin have been found, although the collection and examination of mail from throughout the Capitol complex does continue, as does the analysis of the ricin itself.
The head of the U.S. Capitol police says as to now they have found -- they have not found what he calls a smoking letter or any other significant clues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, CAPITOL POLICE: No one has complained or taken credit for this or blame. But we are examining, clearly, anything ricin related. And prudent investigators will do that. So we have neither ruled something in, nor ruled it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Among the ricin related things they are looking at, two letters that were sent with vials of ricin, one of them found at a postal facility in Greeneville, South Carolina; the other intercepted on its way to the White House. The Secret Service now admitting that it waited too long, several days, to inform the FBI and other agencies about that White House letter. A spokesman saying, "We've made some changes to our protocol. We realize it's important to have prompt notification."
Still, no one ill from the ricin and we're slated to have an update from the Capitol police at 1:00 Eastern -- Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: Also, Jeanne, some senators are responding and saying that they actually were not informed either, had no idea why these offices were closed.
MESERVE: I'm sorry, Heidi, I'm having a little bit of difficulty hearing you here because of the traffic.
Could you repeat that question for me, please?
COLLINS: I'm just wondering, we had heard from some senators that they also had no idea why the offices were closed on that day.
MESERVE: I'm sorry, I'm just having too much problem hearing you, Heidi.
I'm sorry.
COLLINS: OK, Jeanne.
No worries. No worries.
MESERVE: OK.
COLLINS: Thanks so much, Jeanne Meserve with the very latest on the ricin scare at the Capitol.
MESERVE: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
