Sections of White House and Capital Hill shut down over security threats

Several bomb threats called in to police on 9 June forced the evacuation of sections of the White House and Capitol Hill.

The White House's briefing room was evacuated in the middle of press secretary Josh Earnest's daily briefing, according to CNN. Officials said the North Lawn of the White House was also cleared out.

According to the Secret Service, a bomb threat was made to the DC Metropolitan Police Department that specifically targeted the briefing room. Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said the agency received the threat around 1.53pm.

ABC News reported that agents sweeping the room used bomb sniffing dogs and covered or turned off all the network TV cameras in the room, inciting objection from reporters.

President Barack Obama was in the White House at the time of the threat but was not evacuated, Earnest told reporters. The president and his family were in the executive residence and not the West Wing during the evacuation, ABC News reported.

"I have complete confidence in the professionalism of the men and women of the secret service to make judgments about what's necessary to keep all of us safe," he said after the daily briefing resumed about. Reporters were not told why only a section of the White House had been evacuated, according to CNN.

Hours earlier, US Capitol Police also received a bomb threat, which led to the evacuation of a Transportation Security Administraiton (TSA) hearing at the Dirksen Senate office building. CNN reported that the Senate building was later given the green light.

According to CNN, the TSA hearing was called by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee to discuss a report revealing the agency's security failure.

A Secret Service agent at the White House told ABC News that agents believe the two bomb threats were made by the same person. However, Secret Service headquarters did not confirm the calls were related.