THE WHITE HOUSE AT WORK



Wednesday, February 23, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON:
HELPING LOW-INCOME FAMILIES GET TO WORK
February 23, 2000

"If you want more people to work, you've got to help them get to work. The first step is to eliminate the roadblocks that keep them from getting or keeping a car."

President Bill Clinton
Wednesday, February 23, 2000

Today, at the White House, President Clinton unveiled a new regulation and highlighted several new budget initiatives to help low-income families get to work by making it easier for them to own a car or obtain public transportation. These steps are a key part of the Administration's strategy to reform welfare, reward work, and help hard-pressed working families.

Families Need Transportation to Go to Work. Low-income families cannot participate fully in our economy unless they can get to work. Two-thirds of all new jobs are created in suburbs, but three-fourths of welfare recipients live in rural or urban areas. Public transit often fails to link to suburban job opportunities, even in areas with extensive transit systems. Studies show that having a car can make a tremendous difference for welfare receipients and low-income families in getting a job.

Helping More Families Get to the Job. The Clinton-Gore Administration is putting more families on the road to work and opportunity by:

A Record of Rewarding Work and Helping Hard-Pressed Working Families. President Clinton and Vice President Gore have worked for seven years to raise incomes, make work pay, help families make a successful transition from welfare to work, and extend opportunity to all. Today's proposals are part of a comprehensive package in the Administration's FY 2001 budget to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, health coverage, and child care; provide more housing vouchers; help low-income working families upgrade their skills and get the critical work supports they need; promote responsible fatherhood by helping low-income fathers work and support their children; and enact tough new measures to collect more child support from those who can afford to pay.



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