WASHINGTON?A piece of mail sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle tested positive for anthrax Monday as the bioterrorism scare that has raised anxiety across the country reached the halls of Congress.

The letter, which contained a powdery substance, was dispatched to an Army medical research facility at Fort Detrick, Md., for further examination after a pair of preliminary tests in Daschle?s office came back positive, said Capitol Police Lt. Dan Nichols.

The Fort Detrick findings wouldn?t be available until Tuesday, officials said.

President Bush, discussing the letter to Daschle?s office, told reporters ?there may be some possible link? between the spate of anthrax incidents across the country and Osama bin Laden, who administration officials say was behind the Sept. 11 airline hijack attacks.

?I wouldn?t put it past him, but we don?t have any hard evidence,? Bush said.

Daschle was in the Capitol and was not exposed to the letter.