July 19, 2012 08:03 PM UTC

Congress Spends 72 Million on Sports Like NASCAR

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• by: nancycronk

(What say you, Dan? – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl)

In the most egregious example of wasteful taxpayer spending I have ever seen in my 49 years, Congress rejected an amendment to cut 72 million dollars in spending on sports sponsorships by the military, with 7 million dollars going exclusively to NASCAR. According to Inside Politics, the late-night vote on the floor of the House was heated, with 60 Democrats and 156 Republicans voting to continue funding the program.

The bill was the second effort in two years by Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum, a woman who obviously considers race cars going around a track at least slightly less important than feeding the poor, caring for the elderly, giving life-saving treatment to those who have substance abuse, etc. Even Rep. Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican from a very NASCAR-friendly area, could not justify spending 72 million on sports when Congress should be tightening its belt. Joining them were Republican Representatives Jeff Flake of Arizona and Jim Jordan, chairman of the House conservative caucus.

Supporters of the bill say the money is used to pay for advertising to recruit people to join the military, despite the fact there is little evidence to support that claim. One wonders how much more effective it would be to invest 72 million additional dollars in care to Veterans, reducing the number of people with PTSD, depression and difficulty finding jobs. Clearly, seeing Veterans return to their communities healthy and whole speaks volumes to potential recruits.