Jon Terbush January 5, 2011, 4:20 PM

President Obama will give a speech on the economy and jobs next month to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a group he’s often battled during his presidency

The speech is scheduled for February 7 and was reported by The Wall Street Journal. It appears to be an attempt by the White House to court the business community and broaden support for their efforts to boost the struggling economy. In December, Obama met with the CEOs of 20 U.S. companies to discuss ways for moving the country forward.

The decision to address the Chamber of Commerce is also likely intended to mend relations with the chamber itself.

The Chamber of Commerce has fought the president on a number of his signature initiatives, including the health care overhaul and financial regulator reform. Obama struck back at the organization this past fall, questioning whether the business lobby was using foreign donations to finance Republican candidates in the midterm elections. The chamber—which is not required by law to reveal its donors—spent at least $75 million in the elections, the bulk of it on Republicans, prompting many on the left to question where the money came from.

Barack Obama, Business, Business Lobby, Chamber of Commerce