Sorry that you drank the liberal Kool-Aid. At less than one half of one percent of the federal budget, NASA has returned far more than that in R&D, spinoffs and basic scientific knowledge. The liberals hijacked it in the '90s for "Earth studies," and we all know what this gang of Commies has done to it.
Space is a potential theater of war. We need a presence and expertise. If I had my way, NASA would be turned over to either the USAF or USN, and private space ventures would be given tax breaks to get them into a competitive environment.