Nebraska U.S. Senate Hopeful Urges USDA to Step In as Tyson Shuts Lexington Facility
LEXINGTON, Neb. — U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn condemned Tyson Foods’ planned closure of its Lexington beef plant as a potential legal violation and urged federal action on Wednesday, thrusting the future of hundreds of local jobs into the political spotlight.
Osborn’s press conference across the street from the facility raised tensions on an already fraught issue. The plant’s closure, set for late January, will cost about 3,200 workers their jobs in this city of roughly 11,000 people, intensifying economic anxiety.
Officials with Tyson Foods announced the shutdown in November as part of network changes to “strengthen long-term beef business,” saying operations will end at Lexington while other facilities absorb capacity. Osborn, a registered independent running for U.S. Senate, said that decision could amount to illegal “market manipulation” under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, which prohibits anticompetitive conduct in livestock markets.
He implored state and national leaders to pressure the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Justice Department to enforce the law and compel Tyson to sell the plant to another operator instead of closing it.
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“They don’t have time for reports to come out…so pick up the damn phone and get the USDA to enforce the law,” Osborn said, arguing Nebraska workers deserve immediate advocacy.
Republican lawmakers, including members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation, called Osborn’s actions “opportunistic” and said his visit did little to help workers now.
The debate highlights sharp divides over how to respond to major employer departures and what role, if any, federal antitrust enforcement should play in plant closures.
Lawmakers and federal agencies have yet to indicate whether enforcement action will follow Osborn’s call. The USDA said it will monitor compliance with antitrust law but stopped short of pledging legal action.
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