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.

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

Congress aims to boost enforcement at the border – with Canada

By: - August 9, 2024

WASHINGTON – While much of U.S. border security talk focuses on the southwest corner of the country, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill in June aimed at a different target —  growing migration along the U.S.-Canada border. The legislation, titled the Northern Border Coordination Act, was co-authored by Sens. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and […]

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

By: - August 1, 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 […]

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

By: - July 24, 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 influential […]

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 prevent […]

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 has been […]

Watchdog group, GOP U.S. House members blast ‘reckless’ earmark spending

By: - June 12, 2024

WASHINGTON – A group opposed to wasteful government spending and a handful of U.S. House Republicans warned at a Wednesday press event that project-specific spending known as earmarks was contributing to an increase in the national debt. The event to discuss the Citizens Against Government Waste’s latest annual report, titled the 2024 Congressional Pig Book […]

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 […]

USDA aims to aid small farmers by barring pay deductions from poultry companies

By: - June 4, 2024

WASHINGTON — A rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would eliminate pay deductions for chicken producers, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday. Under the current poultry payment system, an incentive-based arrangement known within the industry as a tournament system, farmers who raise poultry earn a base payment from the companies that buy the product and bring it to […]