I recently received a form letter reply from one of my senators in response to a letter I sent to her D.C. office. At the bottom there was a post script that sparked my curiosity:
“Letters sent to the U.S. Capitol are subject to a lengthy screening process. Please address mail to me at (local office address)”
What exactly does that lengthy screening process entail? I’m assuming they open it and do some kind of chemical testing to look for anthrax and what not, but I would like some more information if it’s out there.
IIRC, after 9-11 and the anthrax attacks they set up a much more elaborate mail-screening process that includes X-ray and other examination, done offsite in a huge U.S. Postal Service facility outside Washington. Mail can be delayed there a week or two.
What s/he said. This is what peace corps told me when I complained about having to fax everything. They said regular mail gets heavy delays going into federal buildings.
Mail sent to many government offices in DC, including the Capitol, is sent to a facility in New Jersey where it is irradiated to kill any germs. It’s similar to food sterilization.
This causes delays because of the transit time to and from the facility, because the machines used have limited capacity, and because the mail needs to be aired out for awhile after being irradiated. They started doing this after the anthrax attacks in 2001.
