Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., recently proposed an amendment that would have banned the Pentagon from using taxpayer money to sponsor NASCAR race teams. The House voted down the proposal last week by a 281-148 vote, but McCollum said the fight was far from over.
She planned to introduce broader legislation that would "prohibit taxpayer funds from being used for sponsorship of race cars, dragsters, Indy cars, and motorcycle racing." If passed, it would affect just about every level of motorsports.
"This was a vote about priorities and making smart choices," said Bill Harper, McCollum's chief of staff. "With trillion-dollar federal deficits, this vote to protect taxpayer-funded race cars shows that even a Tea Party Republican-led Congress is not serious about cutting wasteful spending.
