According to The Verge, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office analysis reveals Google’s parent company Alphabet will save approximately $17.9 billion in taxes this year under President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” That amount could’ve paid for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for 7.5 million Americans or Medicaid for around 2.3 million adults. Amazon’s anticipated tax break totals about $15.7 billion this year, enough to provide SNAP benefits for 6.6 million people. Microsoft’s estimated $12.5 billion tax cut in 2026 could lower Affordable Care Act premiums for 1.9 million individuals. The Republican-controlled Congress passed the budget bill in July while simultaneously implementing cuts to federal programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Meanwhile, with the government still shut down, Trump said he will only partially fund SNAP with a $4.65 billion payment.
The trade-offs are staggering
Here’s the thing that really gets me about these numbers. We’re not talking about abstract percentages or theoretical economic impacts. We’re looking at direct trade-offs between corporate tax breaks and basic human needs. That $17.9 billion for Alphabet? That’s literally the difference between families having food on the table or not. And these aren’t small numbers we’re talking about – we’re discussing benefits for millions of actual people.
How the tax breaks actually work
The bill maintains the lower corporate tax rate that was already in place, but it goes further by implementing a more generous research and development write-off system. Basically, companies can deduct more of their R&D expenses immediately rather than spreading them out over time. This is particularly beneficial for tech companies that spend massive amounts on research. But here’s the catch – while these write-offs might stimulate some innovation, they’re also creating these enormous tax liabilities that the government now can’t collect.
The political battle behind the numbers
Warren’s statement really captures the core conflict here: “This is a matter of priorities.” She’s not wrong. The government is making conscious choices about where to direct resources, and the Senate Republican tax bill clearly prioritizes corporate benefits over social programs. At the same time, we’re seeing Medicaid work requirements and changes to SNAP eligibility that will likely reduce participation in these programs.
What this means for actual people
Think about the scale here. The federal government spent $99.8 billion last year to fund SNAP benefits for the average of 41.7 million people who received them monthly. Now we’re looking at partial funding of $4.65 billion during the shutdown. That’s a massive drop that will inevitably mean people lose access to food assistance. Meanwhile, just three tech companies are getting tax breaks totaling over $46 billion. The math here is pretty straightforward – and pretty brutal for families who depend on these safety net programs.
