Carper Gets an Early Birthday Present, After Three Monthy, his Hart Senate Office Reopens

WASHINGTON, DC – Wednesday will be a special day for Senator Tom Carper for more than one reason. He will celebrate both his birthday and his return to his office in the Senate Hart Building after a three-month hiatus. “My first wish was for a balanced budget, but I’ll certainly take this,” Carper said. “We started 2001 in the basement of the Dirkson building, and ended it huddled around Senator Biden’s conference table. I’m happy to celebrate my birthday unpacking boxes.” The Hart building reopened for staff on Tuesday, January 22nd. Senators return to work in Washington tomorrow morning. The Hart building closed for remediation on October 17th, after an anthrax-laced letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) was opened in his office suite and decontamination of the building began. Carper and his staff made use of space offered by Senator Joe Biden, working out of his conference room for a little over three months. “Joe Biden and I pledged to work closely together, but we had no idea how true that would be,” Carper said. “He has been incredibly gracious, and these three months have allowed our staffs to become close. I am looking forward to settling back into office space this week that allows us to work more efficiently and more effectively. It’s a birthday wish come true.” Senator Carper’s office is next door to Daschle’s office suite on the fifth floor of the Hart Building. Thursday, Carper will officially present Biden with a framed photo of the Carper staff huddled around the famed conference table. Footage of Carper’s first day back in the Hart Building will be available via satellite feed Wednesday, Jan. 23rd at 4:30 p.m. Telstar 5 Transponder 16H Downlink 4020