As former Bush economist Keith Hennessey points out, federal money comes with strings attached.

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Keith Hennessey, a former Hill staffer and Bush Administration official, also is skeptical of a confrontational approach.

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"If the U.S. government legally commits to paying someone a benefit, or agrees to pay a firm for a good or a service, the U.S. government should fulfill that agreement in a timely fashion, " said former Bush administration economic adviser Keith Hennessey.

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