Dingmans Ferry native Nick Troiano challenges Tom Marino for Congressional seat

By Nathan Mayberg
DINGMAN'S FERRY — Two-term U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-Williamsport) is facing challenges from Democrat Scott Brion and Dingmans Ferry native Nick Troiano, a political newcomer not affiliated with any party, in the race for the 10th Congressional District, which includes the counties of Pike, Wayne, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Sullivan, Bradford, Monroe, Northcumberland, Perry, Snyder, Susquehanna, Tioga and Union.

Marino, a former attorney for the Department of Justice and a Lycoming prosecutor, considers the Affordable Care Act and the cost of health care the key to the economy and the race.

"People are so afraid that they are not going to find a job, or that they are going to lose their jobs," Marino said.

Troiano, a 2007 graduate of Delaware Valley Central School, said he decided to run for Congress after he "realized how broke our country is." Tackling the country's estimated $18 trillion debt is his priority. "It affects everything else," Troiano said. "America can't be great if we're broke."

Health insurance
Marino has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"Not a day goes by that we don't get a call" from those who can't afford health insurance. Marino said.

Employers increasingly can't afford to provide health insurance to their workers and are cutting hours for part-time employees, he said.

Marino says he believes that "everyone in this country must be covered" by health insurance, but said President Obama's administration doesn't want to discuss fixes to the health care law.

Marino would allow citizens to sign up for health insurance exchanges in other states.

"If Obamacare was so good, why did he give waivers?" Marino asked.

Marino also believes in limiting lawsuits against doctors and hospitals as a way to lower the price of insurance.

Troiano said he wouldn't have voted for the Affordable Care Act. He supports reforming the law and reducing health care costs by reimbursing health care providers "based on outcomes." He said he would give doctors and hospitals more money for the successes they have.

He said the new law was "too disruptive to people who have plans they liked."

Rising health care costs are the "primary" reason for the country's fiscal deficit, Troiano said.

NSA and government surveillance

Marino has voted against bills that would make it tougher for the National Security Agency to collect data on American citizens in light of revelations by Edward Snowden that the government was collecting emails, phone calls and other activity of its own citizens.

However, he says he supports prosecuting anybody in government who monitors the phone calls of citizens without a warrant.

"This is America," he said. "This isn't China."

As a former prosecutor, Marino said he needed "probable cause" to request a court warrant to tap somebody's phone.

"I had to jump through more hoops as a U.S. attorney than as a D.A." to get such a warrant, he said.

There needs to be court hearings or grand jury proceedings before such warrants should be issued, he said: "That's the process that the framers of the Constitution have intended."

Marino said there's "nothing more dangerous than a rogue prosecutor that can get into our backgrounds."

Troiano said he disagreed with Marino's "rubberstamping of the NSA's collection of our cellphone and email data," and that he would be an advocate for civil liberties.

"I think the government has exceeded their authority," he said.

Immigration
Marino describes himself as a second-generation Italian-American who supports immigration reform and granting legal status to those who may have come here illegally. He wants to secure the borders first.

He has passed legislation increasing visas for workers in the high-tech industry and other sectors for the economy, and a guest worker program for the agricultural industry.

Troiano would support increasing the number of agents at the border. He would require those in the country illegally to pay a fine in order to gain legal status.

International affairs
Marino is on the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees. He believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not take Obama seriously."

Marino blames Obama for not acting quicker to stop ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Troiano said the U.S. should have supported rebels in Syria, which would have prevented ISIS from taking a stronghold there. He also said the U.S. shouldn't have disengaged from Iraq.

He supports airstrikes on ISIS. "We shouldn't take any option off the table," he said.

Farm Bill
The Farm Bill passed by Marino and Congress controversially cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Marino and Congress have also passed other legislation to cut SNAP benefits.

"There are too many people on welfare who shouldn't be," Marino said.

Marino would support requiring recipients to keep records of how they spent their food stamps for three years.

Troiano said he wouldn't have voted to cut SNAP, as Marino did. However, he supports restructuring social welfare programs "so that those who can work can get back to work,"

Troiano said he believes that the current welfare system makes it "economically advantageous to depend on the programs that exist."

Background
Marino grew up as the son of a factory worker and went to work at several factories himself before being passed over for a promotion because he didn't have a college education.

He earned a law degree at Dickinson School of Law and went into corporate practice before becoming a prosecutor.

"I still miss being in the courtroom, trying cases, putting the bad guys away," Marino said. He said he misses "taking down drug dealers" and "taking their assets."

As a legislator, Marino said he is pushing the Rapid Act, which would require federal agencies to make a decision on projects within four years. He said there's too much regulation.

Troiano has been a bit of an entrepreneur from an early age, operating a concession stand during high school at sporting events called "Hot Diggity Dogs."

He also worked as a freelance reporter for The Pike County Courier between high school and college.

After graduating from Georgetown University, he co-founded "The Can Kicks Back," a non-partisan political action group, to promote a sustainable federal budget. Troiano helped draft the INFORM Act, which would require a more transparent budget process.

He supports the Simpson-Bowles plan for reducing the debt by $4 trillion over the next decade.

He wants to cut spending, reform the tax code, and reinvest in programs like Social Security and infrastructure.

Editor's note: The story has been corrected from the original to reflect Troiano's correct political affiliation and alma mater.