PolicyBrief
H.RES. 1480
119th Congress•Aug 10th 2026
Honoring the lives, work, and sacrifice of Joseph Curseen, Jr., and Thomas Morris, Jr., the 2 United States Postal Service employees who died as a result of their contact with anthrax while working at the United States Postal facility located at 900 Brentwood Road NE, Washington, DC, during the anthrax attack in the fall of 2001; United States Postal Service employees, who have continued to work diligently in service to the people of the United States notwithstanding the anthrax attack; as well as the other 3 Americans who died and the 17 who became ill in the attack.
IN COMMITTEE

This resolution honors the lives and service of Joseph Curseen, Jr. and Thomas Morris, Jr., alongside all postal employees who demonstrated resilience during the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Eleanor Norton
D

Eleanor Norton

Representative

DC

LEGISLATION

Congress Moves to Formally Honor Postal Workers 23 Years After Anthrax Attacks

This resolution is a formal gesture by the House of Representatives to honor the legacy of Joseph Curseen, Jr. and Thomas Morris, Jr., two D.C.-based postal workers who lost their lives during the 2001 anthrax attacks. Beyond just remembering these two men, the bill serves as a broader acknowledgment of the risks faced by the hundreds of thousands of United States Postal Service (USPS) employees who keep the mail moving, even when the national security landscape gets dangerous. It formally recognizes that while most of us just see a bill or a package on our porch, the people delivering them are operating within a constitutionally mandated service that has faced literal domestic terrorism.

Remembering the Brentwood Facility

For those who might not recall the specifics of the fall of 2001, the bill details the grim reality of the anthrax attacks that killed five people and sickened 17 others nationwide. Curseen and Morris were working at the 900 Brentwood Road NE facility in Washington, D.C., when they were exposed to letters containing the spores. The resolution highlights that these men were longtime public servants who died simply for doing their jobs. It also points back to a 2002 law (Public Law 107-225) that renamed their workplace the Joseph Curseen, Jr. and Thomas Morris, Jr. Processing and Distribution Center, ensuring their names remain part of the city's geography.

More Than Just a History Lesson

While this resolution doesn't change your mail delivery speed or the price of a stamp, it matters because it sets a formal record of the "daily sacrifice" postal workers make. For the average person—whether you’re a remote worker waiting on a new laptop or a small business owner shipping out orders—this is a reminder that the USPS is more than a logistics company; it’s a government pillar. By citing the Constitution’s authorization of the mail system, the bill reinforces the idea that the safety and diligence of postal workers are essential to the country's stability, even decades after the initial threat has passed.