Last week it seemed like the military was going to end its longtime sponsorship of sports leagues such as NASCAR, but it appears as though that's no longer the case. The House of Representatives killed an amendment on Wednesday night that would have stopped the multi-million dollar practice, according to The Associated Press.
The vote was a close one, 216 to 202, and if the measure had passed it would have ended the National Guard's sponsorship of Dale Earnheardt, Jr. as well as several other programs including money spent by the Marine Corps in sponsoring the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Arguments against the spending cuts drew largely from the fact that the partnerships help recruiting, however, Rep. Jack Kingston was not convinced.
"If someone is going to sign away five or six years of their life, it’s going to take more than an ad on an automobile," Kingston told the AP.
Also failing on the House floor was a measure that would reduce the money being funneled to military bands. The plan was to cut the budget from about $388 million to $200 million.
The vote is indicative of an ongoing debate between lawmakers as they look to significantly reduce the defense budget. If legislators cannot come up with a figure, the Pentagon will be subject to sequestration – or nearly $500 billion in cuts over the next nine years, according to Stars and Stripes.