In a speech from the White House balcony facing the South Lawn, Trump thanked Republican lawmakers who helped usher the bill to his desk. He touted the tax cuts in the bill, brushing aside criticism of the impact to social programmes such as food assistance and Medicaid.

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate passed President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill on Tuesday, signing off on a massive package that would enshrine many of his top domestic priorities into law while adding $3.