About Lisa @LisaDNews
Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS NewsHour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work.
She specializes in breaking down complex stories and political disagreements into the key pieces that matter, often translating numbers and fiscal information into accessible stories for the audience.
Prior to joining NewsHour, Desjardins spent nearly ten years with CNN as a senior correspondent and Capitol Hill reporter. Prior to CNN, she reported for the Associated Press, WBTW-TV, WIS-TV, WTS-TV, Reuters, and The Sun News. At WIS in Columbia, South Carolina, she broke news of the compromise to bring down the Confederate flag from the state house dome.
Desjardins earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She also received a first level graduate degree in Russian Studies from the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia.
Desjardins is the recipient of the 2021 Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association Joan S. Barone Award for her reporting during and after the January 6th Capitol insurrection, as well as a Peabody Award for CNN’s coverage of the 2008 election and a Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi award for national breaking news for coverage of the Haiti earthquake.
Lisa’s Recent Stories
Politics Jan 19
As voting rights setback looms, Dems to refocus on Build Back Better provisionsWednesday night on Capitol Hill: A vote some Democrats have waited years to hold. But with Republicans ready to block the voting rights bill in the Senate, Democrats are also poised to vote on whether to change the Senate’s rules.
Politics Jan 18
Senate Dems eye talking filibuster amid voting rights legislation setbacksThe U.S. Senate officially began debate Tuesday on a key Democratic priority — voting rights legislation. But without support from 60 senators, final passage is impossible. Democrats met Tuesday evening for an update on the path forward from Majority Leader…
Politics Jan 17
The debate over ending the filibuster, explainedAs the U.S. Senate returns Tuesday to take up legislation on voting rights, there's one major roadblock for Democrats: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn't have the votes to pass it in an evenly-divided chamber. That's led to renewed talk of…
Politics Jan 13
Democrats’ voting rights legislation ‘on ice’ with opposition to filibuster changePresident Biden and congressional Democrats made a new push Thursday for voting rights legislation. The House passed a repackaged set of two bills aimed at blunting Republican-passed state laws that Democrats say will limit voting. But they still face hurdles…
Politics Jan 12
Democrats search for pathway to voting rights legislation in a divided CongressOn Capitol Hill, Democrats are looking for ways to move voting rights forward as Senate Republicans pushed back after President Biden denounced them for stalling legislation. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss where legislation stands and what options lie…
Politics Jan 10
Democrats make push for voting rights legislation in CongressU.S. senators returned to work in Washington, D.C. Monday as Democrats launched their most concerted push yet on voting legislation. Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss voting rights, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote…
Nation Jan 06
Biden forcefully condemns Trump’s ‘web of lies’ in Jan. 6 anniversary addressSolemn ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol Thursday replaced the violent scenes of rioters ransacking the building one year ago. It was also a day when a sitting president denounced the man he succeeded — in stark terms. Congressional correspondent Lisa…
Nation Jan 05
Trump supporter Rep. Nehls on defending the Capitol against pro-Trump mobOne year ago, supporters of President Donald Trump breached the U.S. Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the democratic process. When the violent mob broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021, lawmakers that were inside scrambled for…
Nation Jan 04
Capitol Police officers who put their lives at risk say everyone has a job in protecting democracyPolice officers were on the frontlines defending the United States Capitol on Jan. 6. For many of them, and even the Capitol Police force as a whole, the year since has been difficult. Officers like Harry Dunn are still recovering…
Nation Dec 29
A look at the life and legacy of Senate titan and Democratic firebrand Harry ReidFormer Democratic Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada died Tuesday, at the age of 82, after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Reid went from humble beginnings in a small town to become one of the longest-serving Senate majority leaders in…