Author

Lia Chien

Lia Chien

Lia was a Capitol Reporting Fellow based in the States Newsroom Washington, D.C Bureau. She is passionate about covering agriculture, climate, and education policy areas.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

U.S. Senate panel looks for ways to aid electric vehicle industry

By: - July 31, 2024

WASHINGTON – Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee discussed on Wednesday ways to boost U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing to be more competitive globally. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the Democratic chairman of the committee, began a hearing Wednesday by calling electric vehicle production “an economic, national […]

Kamala Harris needs a VP candidate. Could a governor fit the bill?

By: and - July 26, 2024

In her search for a running mate in her presidential bid, Vice President Kamala Harris is said to be eyeing a clutch of contenders with executive experience enhanced by an outside-the-Beltway flavor — at least five governors from the Rust Belt, South and Midwest. Harris, if nominated by Democrats and elected, would be the first […]

U.S. House GOP spending cuts a preview of Project 2025, lead Dem appropriator says

By: - July 23, 2024

The cuts to labor, health care and education proposed in a U.S. House Republican bill this week are previews of what would happen to federal agencies under a second Trump term, a key House Democrat said Tuesday. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters Tuesday that the […]

VP Harris cites Biden’s ‘legacy of accomplishment’ as endorsements pile up for her bid

By: , and - July 22, 2024

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to the Democratic nomination cleared Monday as she secured endorsements from potential rivals and other high-profile party members the day after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. A swarm of Democratic legislative leaders, governors -— including some thought to harbor presidential ambitions of their own — and […]

U.S. House passes bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal races

By: - July 10, 2024

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would require individuals registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship to participate in federal elections. The legislation, passed 221-198, would also require states to check their voter rolls for registered noncitizens. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE, is intended to […]

United by their objections to Trump, congressional Dems largely close ranks behind Biden

By: , , and - July 9, 2024

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats appeared to quell some inner tumult over supporting President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, after highly anticipated internal meetings Tuesday showed the president retained considerable support from the Congressional Black Caucus and other lawmakers in public statements. Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Democrats from both chambers largely declined to detail their […]

Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses

By: - July 2, 2024

WASHINGTON – Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation. In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register Tuesday for review. Depending on the […]

Presidential election seen as climate turning point as CO2 hits record

By: - June 27, 2024

WASHINGTON – Despite policies the Biden administration has championed to target climate change, recent findings show carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at an all-time high, raising the stakes for November’s presidential election among advocates for aggressive climate action. Recent data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere […]

U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory

By: - June 26, 2024

WASHINGTON – Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis. Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in […]

Democratic women in U.S. Senate target Project 2025 on reproductive rights

By: - June 18, 2024

WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats held a press conference Tuesday to stand up for reproductive rights and freedoms, criticizing a plan by a conservative think tank that if adopted would hinder abortion and contraception access in a Trump administration. The lawmakers called attention to the potential restrictions former President Donald Trump could employ to reproductive health […]

Immigration group pleads for help bringing deported relatives back to the U.S.

By: - June 12, 2024

WASHINGTON – The Ohio Immigrant Alliance at a Tuesday press conference at the U.S. Capitol called on members of Congress to bring deported family members back home to the United States. Present at the event were relatives of those deported asking for both Congress and President Joe Biden to reform the American immigration system and […]

U.S. Senate panel divided over climate as cause of rising insurance premiums

By: - June 5, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Budget Committee debated the cause of the insurance crisis plaguing homeowners around the country at a Wednesday hearing, with Democrats identifying climate change as the ultimate driving force of rising premiums and Republicans pointing to high government spending and inflation. Homeowners insurance premiums?have skyrocketed in recent years, following billions in […]