To the Journal editor:

During the month of May approximately 161 million people were employed nationwide (Bureau of Labor and Statistics).

Of those employed, less than 2 percent were civilian federal government employees (not counting contractors or grant positions), down from May 1992 when there were over 3 million federal employees under President George W. H. Bush (F.R.E.D).

During that 31 year period, the number of federal employees shrunk in size while the U.S. population increased by 80 million people.

The vast majority (70 %) of the federal workforce serve in the Department of Defense, the intelligence community agencies, NASA, and the Department of Homeland Security, which includes Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, and the FBI, among others (Brookings Institute, May 27, 2020).

While military veterans account for only 6.4 percent of our adult population, one in four (25%) of government employees are veterans. (Aug 8, 2019 National Bureau of Economic Research).

Just over 50 percent of federal employees have a four-year college degree, while around 32 percent do so in the private sector. 21 percent of federal government employees have a master’s degree or higher, compared to only 9 percent in the private-sector (CBO.gov).

Federal employees strive to protect the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. They work to preserve the integrity of our nation’s food and drugs. They labor to secure our borders at home and pursue our nation’s diplomatic interests abroad.

There was a time when our federal government was much smaller, industry was booming and regulation was lax. Many corrupt politicians were in the hands of a small number of very rich industrialists. This was the Gilded-Age.

The late 1800s were a time of unhealthy and dangerous working conditions. Child labor was exploited and industry spewed foul chemicals and toxins into the air and water. Unchecked, profit was the Robber Barons’ only concern.

Current Republican legislators clamor to weaken federal legislation and shrink government oversight. A smaller federal government with fewer regulations and employees, after all, equates to greater profit.

With an increasing population, advancing complex technologies, and a barrage of international and domestic threats, America benefits from a staunch central government with experienced, well-trained civil servants motivated by a sense of service to the country and its people.