Press Release: President Clinton Visits the Gulf Coast Region to Promote Awareness of the EITC

President Clinton meets with Hurricane Katrina Survivors, discusses the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and Talks with Residents about Ongoing Hurricane Recovery Effort.

President Bill Clinton visited Little Rock, AR Saturday and Gulfport, MS and Baton Rouge, LA today to raise awareness of the the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and meet with survivors of Hurricane Katrina about the ongoing recovery efforts.

“With so many people displaced and out of work because of Katrina, it is important that those affected have access to all the services they need to get back on their feet financially, the EITC is one of those services,” President Clinton said at the Promise Land Church in Little Rock.

On Saturday, Promise Land Church offered free tax preparation services for Katrina survivors and low-income families. The church also provided childcare and food for the families and volunteers that attended for the day.

“I wanted to come down here and meet with residents to discuss their situations and talk with them about the EITC,” said President Clinton. “Many people don’t know that they are eligible for the EITC and they are not claiming money that is rightfully theirs, money that could help them. I especially wanted to get this message to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina because a lot of them probably qualify for the EITC and they could use this money to get back on their feet. This is not a cure-all, and there is a long way to go in the recovery effort in the Gulf, but getting up to $4400 will be a big help to a lot of people who really need that money.”

In Gulfport, President Clinton was joined by Operation HOPE founder John Bryant as they toured Operation HOPE’s Project Restore HOPE site and helped residents with their tax filing. Through a grant from the Clinton Foundation, two full time case workers are working in the Forest Heights community to assist residents with their tax preparation.

During his visit to Baton Rouge, President Clinton met with residents who were displaced by the hurricane.

Progress has been made here,” Clinton said of the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the efforts currently underway to help the residents, “but there is still a lot to be done and we have to do all that we can to make sure it gets done, and done correctly.”

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