Powdery substance at Senate office tests negative

WASHINGTON (AP)

A threatening letter with a powdery substance was discovered in Sen. Max Baucus' mailroom Wednesday, but the senator's office said initial tests found no hazard. Baucus, D-Mont., is chairman of the Finance Committee and a leader in the Senate's health care debate. There were no reports of illness after the letter was discovered in the Hart Senate Office Building. The senator's suite of offices were briefly locked down, with nobody allowed to enter or leave, but reopened after the negative test results. Baucus said in a statement, “My staff are hard working, dedicated public servants and their safety is my number one priority. I'm relieved to hear that everyone is safe at this time, and I have the utmost confidence in the Capitol Police and know that they will continue to do everything they can to keep all of us safe.”