WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday denounced the impacts of the sixteen-day government shutdown on America's international standing.
Speaking at the Center for American Policy’s 10th Anniversary Policy Conference, Kerry said, "The shutdown and the dysfunction and the simplistic dialogue that came with it didn't impress anyone about the power of America’s example."
He added: "The shutdown encouraged our enemies, emboldened our competitors and it depressed our friends who look to us for steady leadership."
Though the secretary did not blame any one party or person, he called for America’s leaders to recognize the consequences their actions have.
"The question is no longer whether our politics stops at the water's edge, but whether our politics stops us from providing the leadership that the world needs," said the US Secretary.
Among other impacts, US President Barack Obama was forced to pull out of two major international summits during the shutdown to cope with the crisis at home. The secretary of state stood in for him.
Still, Kerry remained optimistic that America could repair the blows to its image.
"Let me underscore that none of what occurred is irreparable or irreversible, and the strength of our principles and the strength of our people are still the envy of the world. But being a responsible democracy requires that we don't walk ourselves to the brink every opportunity we get, that we don't play games with our credit rating or our credibility," he said.
