GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – The U.S. Senate race in Nebraska took center stage at the State Fair on Tuesday, where Dan Osborn and Sen. Pete Ricketts were questioned on health care, immigration enforcement and beef imports.
Ricketts said he is proud of the work he has done in Washington on passing legislation including the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which he said made needed changes to Medicaid.
“We also put in work requirements so that that 20-something-year-old guy who’s sitting on his parents’ couch doesn’t have a wife, doesn’t have kids, that we don’t have to pay for him unless he wants to go do 20 hours’ worth of work, 20 hours’ worth of education, or 20 hours’ worth of volunteer work,” Ricketts said.
Osborn responded by saying he would not have voted in favor of the bill.
“I was just out in Chadron, Nebraska, recently, and there’s a dialysis plant that just closed as a direct result of the Big Beautiful Bill Act and cutting Medicaid for people who rely on it,” Osborn said.
Osborn said he is concerned about the amount of money being spent on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We are seeing this same mission performed off administrations in the past off of a budget of $7 billion. Now that’s been increased to $80 billion. So if you’re a true fiscal conservative, you should be concerned with this number. This is wasteful government spending,” Osborn said.
Ricketts pointed to his record when asked how he would handle the border and ICE.
“I have worked to make sure we have a secure border. I voted for the Working Families Tax Cup, which dedicated $170 billion to be able to help build a wall, hire more agents. In fact, the National Border Patrol Council, the union for all the brave women and men who defend our border, came to Nebraska for the first time to endorse me because they know I will support them, just like I did when I was governor when I sent the Nebraska State Patrol down there,” Ricketts said.
Osborn and Ricketts were also asked about the news of importing beef into the United States.
Ricketts said he sympathizes with farmers who are making hard decisions.
“Right now, they’re trying to make decisions on their heifers. And this actually makes it more difficult on them to keep those heifers so they can expand the size of the herd. Expanding the size of the herd is how we get long-term to lower prices for consumers and families,” Ricketts said.
Osborn said importing beef is a mistake.
“Bringing in 300,000 pounds, or metric tons, excuse me, of foreign beef, and beef, mind you, that China wouldn’t even touch, undercuts our actual producers here in the state,” Osborn said.
The exchange starts a race to the midterm election in November, which is just over 60 days away.
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