Amid discussions about furloughs and firings of federal employees, we often forget that most are ordinary citizens trying to make ends meet. Some hold these jobs for the benefits they provide, and others because they genuinely enjoy helping people and take pride in where they work. We must not lose sight of the people behind these jobs, nor dismiss them as dispensable, useless or unnecessary.

As of this writing, nearly 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed, and hundreds of thousands more are working without pay. And these employees represent those running critical services that the federal government administers and oversees for everyday Americans. The Federal Aviation Administration, for example, has faced unprecedented stress due to staffing shortages at major airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that staffing-related delays jumped from a typical 5% to 53%. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 130 staff members from its infectious disease team have been laid off. The U.S. today faces multiple health challenges, including measles being at its highest since 1992, a surge in flu deaths, and whooping cough cases near historic peaks. The Smithsonian museums and the........

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