The deal struck earlier this month to cut deficits and avert a U.S. debt default has helped brighten the country’s fiscal outlook, the White House said on Wednesday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showed there had been improvement and also validated U.S. President Barack Obama’s view that more long-term deficit-cutting was needed. “It does indicate that some progress has been made based on the deal that Republicans and Democrats struck earlier this month,â€‌ Earnest told reporters. “The report also makes it clear that there is a lot more that we have to do.â