When government employees don’t show up for work, we’re of mixed minds. On the one hand, a busy bee regulator can have the worst impact of all on American productivity. On the other hand, we’re paying these people a lot of your and our tax dollars for not showing up.

Consider what has happened at the Food and Drug Administration – which is in charge of approving new drugs. When Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington Republican and chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, earlier this year asked FDA Commissioner Robert Califf how many people at his agency responsible for moving new and potentially lifesaving treatments into the medical supply chain were coming into the office, he cavalierly responded:

“Many of our employees aren’t in the office, to begin with, and we have not added back in-person meetings. The industry told us they like both virtual and in-person meetings,” he said.

This is no way to win the race for the cure.