WILLIAMSPORT -- The federal government shutdown is over.
While most lawmakers voted for the bill to restart the government the only congressman from our area who did not: Congressman Tom Marino of the 10th District.
Congressman Lou Barletta, a Republican, said the U.S. could not risk a default.
Matt Cartwright, a Democrat in the House of Representatives, said the deal prevents disaster.
They and nearly every lawmaker voted yes on the debt deal.
Republican Tom Marino from Williamsport voted no nd stands by his vote, saying he could not support what he considers to be a "short-term fix."
Just hours after Congress voted to reopen the government and avoid a default, Republican Congressman Tom Marino was back at his district office in Williamsport.
Marino left the District of Columbia as soon as he voted "no." ad conceded a House GOP defeat in the latest down-to-the wire budget battle.
"But the war's not over. We're still fighting and digging in and fighting for the hardworking taxpayers," said Marino.
The congressman is in his second term and voted to raise the debt ceiling last time around. This time, Marino said his position was "no" all along, accepting the real possibility that the shutdown would have been more severe, and the economy may have taken a turn for the worse.
"We had funds at least for next month and taking into account revenues, would not have defaulted on our debt," he said.
More than two weeks ago, Marino was among House Republicans who railed against the president's new health care law and demanded compromise from Democrats in the Senate. The result was a partial shutdown.
Marino blames President Obama, saying the shutdown was his plan all along to win back the House.
"I think we proved a point to the president concerning the upcoming negotiations that we mean business, we're serious about this," said Marino.
For his part, Congressman Marino said voters sent him to Washington to cut taxes and reign in federal spending. So then, what would it take for Marino to vote "yes?"
"We do some serious cutting spending."
Marino said he would cut the Department of Education, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to name a few.
But he was hard pressed to provide an example of what could begin to solve the partisan problems in Washington.
"We're going to come back to this, this administration does not want to negotiate."
Marino said House Republicans were wrong to make the shutdown about Obamacare, because it's the law of the land.
