WASHINGTON-  The White House is praising the House passage of a budget as a necessary step for a tax overhaul.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement the vote "sets the stage" to give economic relief to Americans in the form of tax cuts and tax reform.

President Donald Trump has made a rewrite of the nation's tax code his top legislative priority. The tax bill is the top item on the GOP agenda. It would be Trump's first major win in Congress - and, Republicans hope, a much-needed boost for the party's political fortunes in next year's midterm elections.