Politics & Government

Congressional Offices Unreachable After East Coast Quake

"The phone systems were apparently overloaded," said Frank Cullen, chief of staff to Murrieta's Congresswoman, Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Desert.

Murrieta-area residents hoping to get in touch with Rep. Mary Bono Mack's office in Washington D.C. were unsuccessful today following mandatory evacuation at the Capitol Building spurred by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake.

A busy signal met people calling Senate and House members' offices.

"The phone systems were apparently overloaded,'' said Frank Cullen, chief of staff to Murrieta's congresswoman, Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs.

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Cullen, who spoke to City News Service from the congresswoman's Coachella Valley office, said police ordered occupants of all seven U.S. House and Senate office buildings within the Capitol complex to evacuate moments after the quake.

"The folks at the D.C. office said there was a pretty significant jolt and quite a lot of shaking,'' he told CNS. "There doesn't appear to be any major damage to our office. But there might be some broken items from things falling down.''

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The congresswoman and her husband, Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla., are on vacation this week, and not near Washington, D.C., he said.

"It's August recess, and most of the elected officials are out of town,'' Cullen said. "There are a few there, because Congress is in pro forma session.''

He said about eight staffers were evacuated from Bono Mack's office at the Cannon House Office Building, which is one of the oldest.

City News Service contributed to this report.


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