NCBA Highlights Major Policy Wins as CattleCon 26 Opens in Nashville
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association officially kicked off CattleCon 26 in Nashville, Tennessee, with a strong focus on policy issues and legislative victories achieved on behalf of cattle producers in Washington, D.C. The opening program featured an update on NCBA’s advocacy efforts and the progress made on issues that directly impact producers’ bottom lines.
During the event, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall shared insight into what he considers some of the most impactful legislative wins cattle producers saw over the past year. Woodall emphasized the importance of focusing on policies that truly “move the needle” for producers, beginning with tax reform.
“You really want to sit down and look at the things that will move the needle for producers. We have to go back to the one big beautiful bill and the tax provisions that were put in that,” Woodall said. He explained that tax policy has historically operated on an eight- to ten-year cycle, requiring producers and lawmakers to repeatedly fight for extensions as provisions expired.
That cycle was set to repeat as portions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act approached expiration. However, Woodall said the passage of the “one big beautiful bill” addressed that uncertainty. “Here we are in a situation where the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions were starting to expire and the one big beautiful bill is going to be the answer to that. They got passed,” he said.
The legislation includes the return of 100% bonus depreciation, expanded 199A and Section 179 expensing, and significant changes to estate tax exemptions. “We take the death tax, the estate tax exemptions, take them to 15 million dollars per person, 30 million dollars per couple. They grow over time as they are associated with inflation,” Woodall noted. He added that NCBA was also able to protect the step-up in basis.
“All of those will help the bottom line of producers. But the best thing, the biggest win in that, is that they’re all permanent,” Woodall said. “So now we don’t have to worry about trying to extend these in 10 years. We have them in a way that producers can plan. That’s huge. Absolutely huge.”
Woodall also pointed to a recent victory involving federal dietary guidelines. “Probably the biggest news is the most recent one on dietary guidelines. Beef is king again,” he said, noting the significant effort that went into ensuring beef maintained its place in national nutrition policy.
As CattleCon 26 continues, NCBA leaders say these policy wins underscore the importance of sustained advocacy and producer engagement in shaping the future of the cattle industry.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.