Since the horrific attacks in Paris last Friday, the Republicans have been highly critical of the Obama Administration’s approach to fighting ISIS, and yet the GOP is directly responsible for standing in the way of our more aggressively combatting the terrorist threat we face.

As the potential danger grows, Republicans in Congress have allowed key posts in America’s defense infrastructure to remain unfilled. These include posts such as Secretary of the Army, Undersecretary of the Air Force, and dozens of ambassadors.

As the Huffington Post noted this week:

“Senate Democrats on Wednesday announced a renewed push to have their chamber confirm Obama administration nominees for those posts, saying the Islamic State-linked violence in France, which claimed 129 lives, has showed that the delay has gone on too long.

“In a conference call with reporters, they highlighted the many holds placed on Obama administration nominees working on national security. These holds should be seen not just as political maneuvers but as direct hits at the readiness of the U.S. to withstand global terror, the lawmakers argued.

“‘We should be fighting ISIS with all hands on deck, not with one hand tied behind our back,’ said Sen. Chuck Schumer.”

Here’s a perfect example of Congress saying one thing while it does another: Texas Senator Ted Cruz has blocked nominees for State Department positions because he’s in a huff about the Iran deal. This includes the nominee for the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Maryland Democratic Senator Ben Cardin points out that the nominee, Gayle Smith, is needed to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Another nomination being held up by GOP politics is Adam Szubin, the nominee for undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial crimes. This is the point person for ending any funding which may be going to ISIS or other terrorist groups.

This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.