It’s incredibly tedious but inevitable: whenever the government shuts down, federal employees whine about their pay being delayed for a week or so. And the more prominent and better-paid they are, the louder they whine about the “real, direct, and unnecessary harm to Americans” that shutdowns supposedly do.

One caveat here: I am sympathetic to those lower-wage federal employees who need every paycheck on time in order to maintain their basic living standards, and those federal contractors who might lack contract qualifications for retroactive pay post-shutdown. Congress should legislate to protect these individuals.