By some reports, Democrats may attempt to use the terror attacks in Paris to try and stop the Republicans from using budget negotiations for the Department of Homeland Security as a means to put a crimp in the President’s amnesty plans.

Last week, House Republicans revealed that they intended to propose a DHS budget that would defund the President’s amnesty plans that are to be implemented through the security agency.

Speaking for those Republicans who want to take money targeted for amnesty away from the DHS, Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) said on Friday, “We are not going to allow taxpayer dollars to be used to fund those unlawful orders.”

But now, after radical Islamists attacked a French newspaper killing 12, some are reporting that Democrats intend to use the attacks as a means to put a halt to any debate over the security agency’s budget.

DC-based political newspaper, The Hill, quoted one Congressional staffer saying that Democrats would invoke the terror attack in the coming debate.

“Republican efforts to play politics with Department of Homeland Security, which is actively engaged against the threat posed by ISIS, is a dangerous and risky move that can backfire,” the aide said.

Still, some Republicans are saying that they are worried that the Democrat attack will find receptive ears both in Congress and in the public.

One willing to go on the record with his reservations is Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. “Defunding that part of the bill that deals with enforcing the executive order makes sense but we can’t go too far here because look what happened in Paris. The Department of Homeland Security needs to be up and running,” he told The Hill.

Republicans like Graham are afraid that the GOP will get blamed if there is a shutdown of DHS should budget negotiations stall.

On the other hand, conservatives continue to point out that even with the partial shutdown of the government early in 2013, the GOP did not get any blame for shutting down the government then. In fact, the GOP won a landslide election in the very next election after that budget discussion.

In the view of conservatives, to cower in the face of this debate, and be found reluctant to use their power of the purse to put a dent in Obama’s amnesty plans, would be a major mistake.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.