Even ignoring the fact that red states in the aggregate receive disproportionately more funding from the DOE than do blue states, the DOE has indisputably been one of the primary reasons for the ascension of the United States to global economic superpower status. The DOE indirectly spurs research, innovation, and the matriculation of high-skilled workers in America. You can trace virtually every single technological and scientific advancement or achievement that we have made in the last 80 years directly to the American educational system; DARPA, the DOD, medical advancement, biotech technology, computer science, etc.
if you look at where the most “need” is in education, it’s disabled children (not sure if that’s the proper terminology – someone please feel free to correct me). The DOE is one of the sole funding sources for special needs programs nationwide; 15% of all students in public schools nationwide benefit from this funding.
Then there’s the federal lending programs, like the Stafford loan. Something like 42 million people in the United States have federal student loans and it represents something like 93% of all student loan debt in America. This Stafford program has given people opportunities for education that wouldn't have been otherwise been possible, therefore contributing to upward social mobility for generations of people.
And speaking of upward social mobility, there’s the Pell Grant program, which I think is one of the absolute best investments the United States government has ever made, and not just because I was a Pell Grant kid. Over 221 million Americans have received Pell Grants since 1980. For reference, there are currently 260 million living Americans over the age of 18. Eliminating the sole provider of educational funding for poor kids is absolutely against the majority of Americans’ best interest.
Republicans want to diminish education and eliminate the DOE but as we’ve seen on this very thread, they cannot even present a coherent argument beyond anecdotal hysteria they learned on Fox or Truth Social. Most charitably, they are too ignorant to understand what the DOE does, and more sinisterly, they just want to hurt others. But elimination of the DOE would be, IMO, perhaps single-handedly the worst move any American presidential administration could make short of launching nukes.
Education is the singular greatest socioeconomic equalizer and provider of upward social mobility in this country. Nothing should surprise me anymore, but I am genuinely surprised that so many Republicans are willing to cut off the noses of their children and grandchildren just to try to spite the libs.
