Spending cuts shadow Obama meeting with tribes

(AP) Hundreds of tribal leaders are gathering with President Barack Obama in their first meeting since his re-election.

This year's White House Tribal Nations summit comes as Congress is in a standoff over automatic spending cuts and tax hikes scheduled to go into effect at the start of the new year.

Some American Indian and Alaska Native leaders fear the looming cuts in the fiscal cliff debate could undermine progress made on tribal issues.

Obama is expected to address more than 500 tribal leaders at the Interior Department Wednesday afternoon. Their meeting follows intensified get-out-the-vote campaigns among some tribes that helped return Obama to the White House.