Senate Minority Leader Schumer wants Brooke Rollins to stop Nebraska Tyson beef plant closure

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Nebraska Examiner

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said he encouraged Tyson to keep the plant open and help displaced workers find jobs
By: Juan Salinas II - January 16, 2026 8:57 pm

OMAHA — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, asking her federal department to “block” the closure of the Tyson beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska.

Schumer, in the letter, pointed to the Packers and Stockyards Act, saying the upcoming closure in Lexington is a “textbook violation” of the century-old federal law. The New York Democrat said the closure will send “shockwaves through America’s cattle market.”

“[USDA] publicly stated it is ‘closely monitoring’ the planned closure of large processors like Tyson’s Lexington plant, yet has offered little clarity on whether that monitoring includes active investigation, enforcement, or any concrete steps to protect producers and competition … I urge you to act swiftly to preserve competition, help bring prices down for families and farmers, and save jobs,” Schumer’s letter reads.

The Packers and Stockyards Act, passed in 1921, was meant to promote competitiveness and fair practices in the livestock, meat and poultry industries — and to ensure payment protection.

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/16/senate-minority-leader-schumer-wants-brooke-rollins-to-stop-nebraska-tyson-beef-plant-closure/

[OldBaldy1701E]

1. And, the Packers and Stockyard Act will be brought up for repeal in 5... 4... 3... (n/t)

[littlemissmartypants]

2. Good for him for taking a stand. ...

Unfortunately, with these psychopaths the direct approach may backfire. Anything we oppose, they seem hell bent on making reality.

[dutch777]

3. Attacking this on the loss of competition and possible rising prices issue and lay it at Trump/GOPs feet is way to go.

That is the political side. Fact seems to be that the base issue is raising cattle for the ranchers is generally a money losing proposition leading to low supply to fully and profitably run all the beef processing plants we have. Some of this is a feedback loop in that as beef prices have risen many of us have decreased our red meat consumption.

[ChicagoTeamster]

6. Nebraska Governor also complained about the employees being taken by ICE and they couldn't meet demand.

That combined with Trump importing beef from Brazil to lower prices and they probably lost too much business.

[ColoringFool]

4. I Wish The Law Could Have Saved Bethlehem Steel. But That.....

Isn't American Capitalism, is it?

Why, yes, my father worked for Bethlehem Steel.

[Tetrachloride]

5. The math on this situation is vastly underexplored.

[Farmer-Rick]

7. Right...it makes no sense

National US cattle supplies remain at a 70-year low. Why did our cattle supply shrink??? People around here are raising heifers left and right but the price they are getting has dropped significantly.

Short-term fed and feeder cattle prices fell sharply.

So basically our supply of cattle for processing has fallen And the price for them has dropped.

What happened to supply and demand? Someone else is providing beef supplies to US markets. Is it Argentina and Brazil? Pedo Trump bailed out Argentina with our tax dollars then opened up our beef markets to them too. Brazil has become the lead exporter of Beef. Does the US produce anything anymore?

[Tetrachloride]

9. Ultimately, who has the money

Even if we knew the answers to all of your questions, I sense a pile of unexplored math

[Grins]

8. Again we jump in to stop the GOP from committing suicide

Closing that plant will hurt the state and local economies. So the correct response shouldn’t be to stop it, but scream, “Next time - vote Democrat!