WASHINGTON — A few days ago, a bipartisan majority in Congress voted to reopen the federal government and remove the cloud of uncertainty hanging over our economy. This put an end to a messy, and at times downright ugly, political process. But when you look through the noise of the moment, it showed that America’s leaders are committed, on a bipartisan basis, to doing the right thing for our economy and our standing around the world. The dollar is the world’s reserve currency and, for over 200 years, we have established ourselves as the backbone of the global financial system. The world now knows we are and will remain the safest, most reliable place to invest.

Make no mistake: What took place was a political crisis, not an economic one. When faced with a true economic crisis in 2008 — the worst since the Great Depression — our economy proved its resilience. Since then, the American people have painstakingly fought their way back from the brink. Now businesses are hiring, our economy is growing, and we have cut our deficits in half. Throughout this period, the United States once again became a source of strength for the global economy.

But we are not where we want to be. Growth is not strong enough, and job creation needs to accelerate. And one of the fundamental reasons our economy is not firing on all cylinders is Washington. Our economy has been poised to make serious strides over the last few years, but self-inflicted political wounds have gotten in the way time after time.

Without question, the government shutdown and the debt ceiling impasse have led to economic hardship in every corner of the country. While we do not yet know the exact magnitude of the damage, these events have generated unnecessary headwinds for the economy. We should never again take this country to the point of near-default in order to exact political gain.