WASHINGTON — The White House press briefing room was briefly evacuated due to a bomb threat Tuesday afternoon – a security scare that came on the heels of two suspicious package investigations that partially evacuated a Senate office building earlier in the day.
The Secret Service says that D.C. police received a call reporting a bomb threat to the briefing room just before 2 p.m. The room was cleared during a televised, afternoon press briefing as a precaution.
Reporters were escorted to a driveway separating the West Wing from the neighboring office building.
The remainder of the White House was not evacuated and continued to operate as normal, according to the Secret Service.
Evacuations at the White House are rare but not unprecedented.
Earlier, several floors of the Dirksen Senate Office Building were evacuated while the U.S. Capitol Police investigated a report of a suspicious package found in a ground floor office. Police gave the all-clear and reopened doors to the building about 1:20 p.m.
Next door, police were investigating a report of a second suspicious package found in the courtyard of the Russell Senate Office Building, which was not evacuated. The package was described as a “lunch cooler.”
No other congressional office buildings nor the U.S. Capitol were evacuated.
The packages were found as a Senate committee was conducting a hearing on security lapses at the Transportation Security Administration. The hearing was held inside the Dirksen office building and the committee room was cleared due to the police investigation
Police activity in the Dirksen #Senate building all clear. Norhtwest Door is now open. Thank you staff and visitors for your cooperation.
— SenateSergeantAtArms (@SenateSAA) June 9, 2015
Due to police activity, portions of Dirksen being evacuated. NW Door closed until further notice. Staff & visitors, avoid the area. #Senate
— SenateSergeantAtArms (@SenateSAA) June 9, 2015
WTOP’s Dave McConnell contributed to this report from Capitol Hill. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
