In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Ethan Lane, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, during CattleCon26 in Nashville, where Lane offered members an update on key Washington, D.C. issues facing cattle producers.

Lane addressed growing concerns about misinformation targeting animal agriculture, much of it amplified through social media. He noted that online platforms have allowed fringe voices to gain outsized influence, explaining that “the internet really allowed the crazy people in every community to find each other and really, sort of form bigger groups of crazy people.” Lane warned that false narratives, often backed by animal rights organizations, have intensified over the past year and created confusion among policymakers and the public alike.

He emphasized the importance of distinguishing real producer voices from online noise, stressing that NCBA’s policy positions are rooted in decades of grassroots work. “There’s 10,000 people in this building coming from every state in the country with detailed notes and board action from county cattlemen’s associations and state cattlemen’s associations,” Lane said. He added that this process results in “160 pages of very clear policy on what this industry would like from Washington and, more importantly, what we don’t want their help with.”

Lane also discussed NCBA’s ongoing engagement with the White House and federal agencies, noting that the association maintains active dialogue with policymakers across administrations. He acknowledged that populist administrations often invite a wide range of voices to the table, but said NCBA works to ensure decision-makers understand that when the association speaks, it represents “hundreds of thousands of producers that have put their thoughts and work into these processes.”

Turning to legislative and regulatory priorities, Lane highlighted the significance of recent tax reforms included in what he called the “one big, beautiful bill,” describing the changes as “game changers” for producers by making key provisions permanent and indexed for inflation. On the regulatory front, he pointed to progress on clarifying the Waters of the United States definition, saying the goal is to ensure it “truly meets the court’s expectation… to not be overly burdensome to producers,” adding that he hopes this marks the final chapter in the long-running WOTUS debate.

Coverage of CattleCon 2026 is powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Ethan Lane Updates Cattle Producers on Key Washington Issues first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.