As far as campaign strategies go, risking American lives to make a political point seems like a pretty flawed approach. But it is, incredibly, the path Democrats have chosen — perhaps fatally — to meet the critical moment the U.S. finds itself in. As bombs drop in the Middle East and our country braces for possible retaliation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) party still insists on choking off crucial dollars to Homeland Security. The reality is, if our nation is attacked — and the growing number of terror sleeper cells within our borders makes that a real possibility —Democrats will own it. But so far, that’s a gamble the party seems willing to make.

On Monday, two days into the offensive in Iran, the Democrats’ second in command, Senator Dick Durbin (Ill.) shot down any suggestion that the war changed anything for the Left where the partial shutdown is concerned. “We gave fair warning to the Republicans that we were serious about reining in what the ICE forces are doing. What we’re talking about is responsible.”

Those talking points were echoed by Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on “Face the Nation” Sunday, who implied that the president’s strikes and ICE mission were both unconstitutional, justifying the party’s ill-advised stance. “They should stop this illegal war, and they should stop ICE from terrorizing our communities. We should demand that they do both things,” he argued.

But the optics of stonewalling Homeland Security are anything but flattering — especially as Congress enjoys heightened protections during the conflict. House Sergeant-at-Arms William McFarland explained in an email Monday afternoon that his office is “working closely with ... law enforcement and intelligence partners to monitor the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East” as extra measures are taken to safeguard members.

The weekend’s deadly Austin shooting, which was carried out by a man wearing a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt, also makes the Democrats’ current obstruction look absurdly petty and perilous. Even now, the FBI and several U.S. cities are on high alert, adding extra patrols and other anti-terrorism safeguards. “While the military handles force protection overseas, the FBI remains at the forefront of deterring attacks here at home — and will continue to have our team work around the clock to protect Americans,” Director Kash Patel insisted.

“The threats of terrorism are higher right now,” Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) warned. “Our forces are on alert because we are actively taking out the Iranian leadership in the Ayatollah,” he said, calling it “shocking” that Democrats continue to hold up DHS funding.

His colleague, Army veteran Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), agreed. “Unfortunately, we had a wide-open border for four years under Joe Biden. We have no idea who may have gotten into the country during those four years. I don’t want to comment specifically on what happened in Austin until all the facts are known, but I did speak with [FBI Director] Kash Patel yesterday, and I can tell you that the FBI is taking every potential threat around the nation very seriously,” he said. But, Cotton underscored, “This is another very compelling reason that we need to fund the Department of Homeland Security immediately.”

Sitting down with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins on “Washington Watch,” former Secret Service special agent Tim Miller detailed some of the chilling scenarios that could be facing Americans thanks to the 15 million illegal immigrants who invaded our country under Biden. “The reason we have legal entry,” he stressed, “is so we can screen them. Now, I will tell you firsthand, from talking to folks on the border and well into Mexico, there were groups of people walking across the border that absolutely raised every suspicion … and we’re still trying to identify them.” And the reality is, Miller said, “If they’re here, which we know segments of them are here, and if they’re organized, not only is the threat real, it’s pending. And that’s a time for all believers to pray and prepare. It’s time.”

There are the Iranian sympathizers, as many believe we saw in Texas on Saturday, but Miller insists that’s only part of the issue, the former Marine pointed out. “There could be a wide range of attacks. That lone actor [is] just mad, angry, [and] ideologically driven. [But] you put two or three of them together with a little bit of planning, [and] you’ve got a bigger problem.” He pointed to the spike in protests across the country. “It wasn’t too long ago they were screaming ‘Death to America!’ from Tehran. Now they’re doing it in downtown New York City? So it’s a totally different threat if they’re organized, housed in a certain area, and supported.”

Remember, he continued, “Too many of the folks that crossed the border, there’s no legitimate way to track them back. That’s what we used to do after 9/11. But now it’s much more difficult because we’re not even sure who they are or where they are.” He paused, “And credit to President Trump. He’s doing everything he can to deal with this mess. But if you think of a percentage, people go, it’s a small percentage of radical ideologues of 15 million people. But imagine the carnage they [could create].”

In other words, this is not the time to leave major gaps in Homeland Security, as several frustrated Republicans continue to remind their Democratic colleagues. Schumer and his caucus are “putting the country at risk” by not funding DHS, Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) argued, and they “should work with the administration to come up with something they can vote for.”

Cybersecurity is another area that remains vulnerable the longer the shutdown goes on, The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board notes. “Only 800 of the more than 2,000 employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are currently working, according to data shared with us by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Most have been furloughed,” the WSJ highlights. “The agency has cancelled assessments that detect vulnerabilities in America’s critical infrastructure, which seems like bad timing in light of the Iranian regime’s expertise at hacking.”

The other thing to consider, Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Bob Maginnis, FRC’s senior fellow for National Security, emphasized to The Washington Stand, is that America’s enemies look for “signs of division and dysfunction.” When “domestic political inflexibility interferes with national security readiness, it sends the wrong signal,” he argued.

“When America is confronting threats abroad, especially from a hostile regime like Iran, we must assume the increased risk of retaliation at home,” Maginnis reiterated to TWS. “Weakening elements of the Department of Homeland Security during such a period only heightens our vulnerability.” And yet, what we’re seeing is that several facets of our infrastructure have been disrupted because “congressional Democrats have chosen to shutter key operations. That kind of political brinksmanship carries real-world consequences,” he warned. “This is not the time for partisan standoffs. It is a time for seriousness. Members of Congress must put the safety of the American people ahead of political leverage.”