Obama to focus on economy in visit to Choctaw Nation

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama will talk about expanding economic opportunity during a visit to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

The tribe is headquartered in Durant, in southeast Oklahoma, and Obama was making that his first stop Wednesday on a two-day visit to the state.

The Choctaw Nation is the country’s third-largest Native American tribe, with about 200,000 members, and has been named a "Promise Zone" by the Obama administration.

Under the program, designated urban, rural and tribal communities are given an advantage when they apply for federal grants. They also benefit from more coordinated government assistance and could be singled out for tax incentives approved by Congress.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the Choctaw Nation has used the federal assistance it’s received to create economic opportunities for community members.