Todd Batta
The Senate last week confirmed Todd Batta as the Agriculture Department assistant secretary for congressional relations.

Batta, who has been a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, dealing with USDA’s budget, legislative and regulatory agenda, succeeds Brian Baenig, who is now Vilsack’s chief of staff.

From September 2011 to April 2012, Batta served as special assistant in the Office of Congressional Relations at USDA.

He served as a legislative assistant to Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., from 2009 to 2011, as a professional staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee from 2005 to 2009, and as a member of the office of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa from 2001 to 2005.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Winona State University in Minnesota in 2001.