A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requested by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, revealed that Amazon is among the top employers of Americans who use food stamps (SNAP) and Medicaid in every state that provided data. The findings, published on July 22, 2026, were based on employment records from 15 agencies across 11 states, covering data from September 2025. The GAO analyzed the 25 largest employers in each state and found Amazon ranked second in five states for Medicaid users and second or third in six states for SNAP recipients. Overall, Amazon's workforce was linked to 11,338 Medicaid users and 12,346 SNAP recipients. Amazon challenged the report, arguing that the rankings did not consider the total number of employees the company has. A spokesperson, Rachael Lighty, told The Washington Post that using raw numbers rather than percentages could be misleading. She also noted that eligibility for programs like SNAP and Medicaid depends on total household income and family size, not just individual wages. This means companies that offer part-time jobs may naturally have more employees who qualify for such assistance programs. The GAO acknowledged this in its report, explaining that larger employers are more likely to appear on the list due to their higher employee counts, and part-time workers are more likely to use food assistance programs. Senator Sanders highlighted that Amazon's employment numbers have grown significantly, leading to "triple" the number of SNAP and Medicaid users compared to a 2020 report. Amazon’s global workforce expanded from about 798,000 at the end of 2019 to 1.61 million in 2021, and stood at 1.576 million at the end of 2025—nearly doubling since 2020. This growth may have made Amazon more likely to appear on the list due to its larger employee base. Senator Sanders criticized the trend, calling it "beyond unacceptable" and stating that "American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the starvation wages of large corporations." Meanwhile, Amazon has raised its capital expenditure guidance for 2026 from $200 billion to $220 billion, citing increased demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure as the main reason. This follows a significant jump in capital spending, with Amazon previously expecting $200 billion in 2026, up from $131.8 billion in 2025. On July 30, CEO Andy Jassy increased the figure to $220 billion, citing rising memory prices and noted that even this amount would not be enough to meet current demand. As Amazon invests heavily in AI data centers, the company faces growing scrutiny over its massive spending and profit margins, especially as communities bear the costs of increased energy and water use. At the same time, Amazon has committed $1 billion to raise base pay for U.S. fulfillment and transportation workers in late 2025. Being linked to high numbers of workers using government assistance programs may not be ideal timing for the company, as public attention turns increasingly toward the practices of large corporations with vast resources and influence.