My Washington office closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday and will be closed until Tuesday, Oct. 23 or further notice due to the preventive measure sweep being conducted of all House of Representatives office buildings. At this time, anthrax has not been found on the House side of Congress, only on the Senate side.

Due to the news that 29 people in the office of the Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle tested positive for anthrax and the detection of spores in the Senate ventilation system, security officials decided to evacuate all congressional personnel.

It is my understanding that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts will be testing the offices and the ventilation systems throughout the Capitol complex.

I urge my constituents to consider using phone and fax instead of postal mail to convey urgent concerns or problems to my offices. I want to make every effort to respond to your needs during this time. Please contact my District Office in Hempstead at 489-7066 or office fax at 489-7283.