Corporate-Welfare

Trump Spending Legislation Creates $40 Billion in New Fossil Fuel Subsidies

| Importance: 8/10

A comprehensive analysis revealed that Trump’s spending legislation created $40 billion in fresh subsidies for oil, gas, and coal companies over the next decade, representing the largest single-year increase in fossil fuel support since 2017. The law dramatically expands carbon capture tax …

Donald Trump Harold Hamm Kelcy Warren Fossil Fuel Industry regulatory-capture fossil-fuel-subsidies climate-corruption corporate-welfare
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Government Waives Performance Benchmarks for Intel Despite $11 Billion in Federal Support

| Importance: 8/10

After taking a 10% equity stake in Intel worth $8.9 billion, the government waived performance benchmarks and accountability requirements despite Intel receiving over $11 billion in total federal support through CHIPS Act grants and additional programs. The benchmark waiver eliminates standards that …

Trump Intel Department of Commerce state-capitalism corporate-welfare CHIPS-Act accountability crony-capitalism
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Amazon Selects NYC and Arlington for HQ2—Extracting at Least $4.6 Billion in Subsidies

| Importance: 9/10

Amazon announced on November 13, 2018 that it would split its HQ2 project between Long Island City in Queens, New York and Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia (rebranded as “National Landing”). While Amazon claimed the combined subsidies totaled approximately $2.8 billion, analysis by …

Amazon Jeff Bezos Andrew Cuomo Bill de Blasio Good Jobs First corporate-welfare economic-extraction billionaire-impunity wealth-extraction
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Seattle Passes Head Tax on Large Employers—Amazon Threatens Expansion Halt, Washington Post Editorial Aligns with Owner's Interests

| Importance: 8/10

Seattle’s City Council unanimously passed a “head tax” on large employers on May 14, 2018, taxing companies earning $20 million+ annually at $275 per full-time employee to fund affordable housing and homeless services. Amazon—with 45,000 Seattle employees and facing a $12 million …

Amazon Jeff Bezos Washington Post Seattle City Council Jenny Durkan media-capture corporate-welfare tax-avoidance local-politics editorial-capture
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Amazon Pays Zero Federal Income Tax Again on $11.2 Billion Profit—Receives $129 Million Tax Rebate

| Importance: 9/10

Amazon paid zero federal income tax for the second consecutive year despite nearly doubling its U.S. profits to $11.2 billion in 2018. Beyond avoiding all federal taxes, Amazon actually received a $129 million tax rebate from the federal government—yielding a negative 1% effective tax rate. This …

Amazon Jeff Bezos Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy tax-avoidance corporate-welfare wealth-extraction billionaire-impunity
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Amazon Launches HQ2 Bidding War—238 Cities Compete to Offer Billions in Subsidies

| Importance: 9/10

Amazon announced in September 2017 that it would build a second headquarters (HQ2) equal to its Seattle campus, sparking a bidding war among 238 North American cities desperate to win 50,000 promised jobs. Cities competed to offer the largest subsidy packages—with bids averaging $6.75 billion from …

Amazon Jeff Bezos corporate-welfare economic-extraction race-to-bottom surveillance-capitalism
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Amazon Pays Zero Federal Income Tax on $5.6 Billion Profit

| Importance: 9/10

Amazon reported $5.6 billion in U.S. profits for 2017 yet paid zero federal income tax, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). The company used various tax credits and deductions—particularly tax breaks for executive stock options—to completely eliminate …

Amazon Jeff Bezos Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy tax-avoidance corporate-welfare wealth-extraction billionaire-impunity
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Congress Appropriates $120 Million for Unwanted Abrams Tanks for Third Consecutive Year Despite Army Opposition

| Importance: 9/10

Congress included $120 million for Abrams tank upgrades in the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act, marking the third consecutive year lawmakers overrode Army leadership requests to suspend tank production—the first such production halt proposed since World War II. Representative Mike Turner …

General Dynamics Mike Turner Ray Odierno Rob Portman Sherrod Brown congressional-corruption defense-contractors military-spending general-dynamics corporate-welfare +1 more
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Congress Overrides Army to Fund $255 Million in Unwanted Abrams Tank Upgrades to Protect General Dynamics Ohio Plant

| Importance: 9/10

Congress approved $255 million to upgrade M1 Abrams tanks through 2014 despite explicit Army testimony that it had ceased ordering tanks and wanted to save billions by halting production to develop next-generation armor. The appropriation represented a direct override of military leadership by both …

General Dynamics Rob Portman Sherrod Brown Ray Odierno Mike Turner +1 more congressional-corruption defense-contractors military-spending general-dynamics corporate-welfare +1 more
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