The View from Capitol Hill: Agriculture After the 2026 Midterms

Join RJ Karney, NCFC’s VP & Head of Government Affairs, for an insider’s look at the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections, what to expect from the lame-duck session, and the opportunities and challenges facing agriculture in the 120th Congress.

This session is presented in collaboration with NCFC and NSAC.
To find out more about the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), please visit ncfc.org.
To find out more about the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (NSAC), please visit nsacoop.org. 

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: RJ Karney, Vice President, Head of Government Affairs, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC)

RJ currently serves as Vice President, Head of Government Affairs for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, where he leads advocacy on behalf of America's farmer cooperatives before Congress, federal agencies, and the administration.

RJ brings two decades of agriculture policy experience to NCFC. He joined the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in 2020 as Senior Director of Public Policy, leading the organization's public policy team on its engagement with the federal government and international organizations. Before NASDA, RJ spent 16 years with the American Farm Bureau Federation, holding several roles including Director of Congressional Relations. In that position, he advocated Farm Bureau's policy priorities on issues ranging from rural development programs and broadband access to the farm bill, tax reform, and farmer mental health, and he helped lead the effort to expand SBA's Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program to agricultural enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RJ earned a bachelor's degree in history from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a master's degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. He has been named one of "The Hill" newspaper's Top Lobbyists multiple times.

A Pennsylvania native, RJ spends his time outside the office coaching his kids' sports teams and smoking meats, fish, and cheese to share with friends.

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Education Director, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives

After retiring as Tax Director of a regional supply cooperative on the East Coast, Wayne Sine was asked to serve as Education Director for NSAC. As an active and long-term member of NSAC, Wayne previously served as Chair of NSAC’s Tax Committee, President of the Atlantic Chapter, and was a recipient of NSAC’s Silver Bowl Award. In addition to his work with NSAC, Wayne has also served on the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Chaired the Tax Committees for both the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association, served on the Tax Policy Committee of the Virginia Society of CPAs, and served as Region Vice President for Tax Executives Institute.