It's not that their lives count "more than" or "differently" than anyone else's. There are simply additional charges that can be brought when dealing with crimes against Federal officials who are conducting the nation's business.
This isn't all that outlandish, just as there is a huge difference between breaking into a liquor store and breaking into a U.S. Postal Service facility. If you are presented with the opportunity and must do one or the other, please break into the liquor store. The penalties for breaking into the U.S. Postal Service facility are enormous in comparison.
If mail is more valuable than booze then that means government employees are more valuable than taxpayers.
That’s not American.
Perhaps I’m still missing something here: There is clearly a division under the law between Federal officials & employees on the one hand, and the common citizens on the other.
The former are referred to as “Public Servants,” a moniker that is far beyond euphemism these days. This country was founded, if it’s not too strident in tone to say so, with We The People as the ultimate head of the government, “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” and all that silly, quaint old jazz.
If We The People are those for whom this government exists, and if the Federal officials and employees are our “servants,” how has it come to pass that the murder of the servant is more grievous than that of the master?