If federal employees are required to take furloughs and suffer 20% pay cuts, Congress (Senate and House) members and President Obama (the people who are responsible for the sequester and the resulting furloughing of federal employees) will "share the pain" by taking 20% pay cuts themselves.
Members of Congress and the President (due to their inaction) will take responsibility and in a show of solidarity and unity with the 800,000+ employees - who through no fault of their own will be forced to accept 20% pay reductions - will share equally in the pain and suffering that they themselves are responsible for.