US House passes Trump-backed budget bill

The US House of Representatives has passed a budget bill that includes massive cuts to taxes and government spending on Thursday despite opposition from Democrats and Republican hard-liners.

The spending plan is a key plank in Donald Trump's legislative agenda and he has called it a "big, beautiful bill".

After the 216-214 vote, Trump posted on social media: "Congratulations to the House on the passage of a Bill that sets the stage for one of the Greatest and Most Important Signings in the History of our Country."

However the House bill has much deeper spending cuts than the version passed by the US Senate, and the two versions must now be merged into one bill for him to sign into law.

The merger process is called "reconciliation".

The House passed the budget bill mostly along party lines, with all Democrats voting against, along with two Republicans - Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana.

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