President Barack Obama has secured a veto-proof majority in the Senate to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran. Unfortunately for the White House, his opponents would prefer that we not join the U.N. Security Council, the Arab States of the Persian Gulf and most of the world in endorsing a deal that keeps Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Republican-led American coalition have failed in their attempt to derail President Obama’s diplomacy efforts. Despite their duplicitous talking points and ad hominem attacks, the international security community, nuclear proliferation experts and most of the American and Jewish public agree that the JCPOA is the best way to prevent a nuclear Iran.

Much of the criticism has focused on the fact that Iran will remain a powerful and potentially destabilizing international actor. While all paths to a nuclear weapon will be cut off, Israel will remain vulnerable to an assault through Iran’s regional proxies. But instead of ensuring that the JCPOA will be strengthened through additional policy measures, those against the deal are now lobbying Congress to weaken it.

For those on the fence, the anti-deal coalition is urging what they call a “protest vote” to discourage banks and businesses from investing in Iran – and to send a message to other governments that the U.S. Congress might not be compliant, regardless of the President’s position.

Republicans are also trying to insert amendments to kill the deal, threatening to defund the International Atomic Energy Agency and do whatever else they can to tie the President’s hands. From state legislatures to the White House, opponents are fighting to gut the JCPOA in every way possible.

This is a dangerous game.

If the United States cannot uphold its end of the bargain, the international sanctions regime could fall part. A toothless agreement puts Iran back on the path to unfettered nuclear expansion, but without the verifiable inspections regime and consequences outlined in the JCPOA.

When U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Jefferson County Democrat, endorsed the deal, he said, “The Agreement is a nuclear non-proliferation agreement limiting Iran’s capacity to build nuclear bombs. It is not – nor is it intended to be – a peace agreement which resolves or eliminates all threats.”

Perlmutter is right. It is time to move beyond appeals for “a better deal” or “protest votes.” Rather, we must work to ensure that the international community builds durable intelligence sharing and inspection regimes that will guarantee maximal enforcement of the JCPOA. This includes keeping a military option on the table, if necessary.

This historical agreement accomplishes what we would not have been able to do through military force or wishful thinking. The JCPOA mandates that Iran will cut its stockpile of enriched uranium by 90 percent and reduce the country’s centrifuges by two-thirds. It also details the most comprehensive verification process in history, giving us unprecedented access to Iran’s nuclear sites. It is virtually impossible for Iran to “cheat” without us knowing immediately, and it would be a disaster for Iran if they tried.

Opponents and their allies in Congress need to stop engaging in an obstructionist, schoolyard game of “chicken” with our national security. Undermining the deal does not isolate or threaten Iran. It isolates and weakens the credibility and national security of the United States.

Colorado’s congressional delegation would do well to keep this in mind when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action comes to a vote – and likely for a long time after, because the opponents of the deal aren’t going to quit their political theatre anytime soon.

JoyAnn Ruscha serves on the executive board of J Street Colorado and is active in other pro-Israel organizations. The views expressed in this commentary are her own.