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President Plans Visit On Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

On Sunday, August 29, President Obama will travel to New Orleans, La., to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The visit will include remarks by the President at Xavier University of Louisiana. Members of the President’s Cabinet who have worked to speed recovery and restoration efforts will also be in the region to mark the anniversary.
The First Family traveled to Florida’s Gulf Coast where they are spending this weekend in Panama City Beach, FL.
 
While there, the President and First Lady were joined by area small business owners and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus for a roundtable discussion of the recovery.

The president used the trip to express the gulf's cleanup efforts have been successful.

"I also want to point out that as a result of the cleanup effort, beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean, safe, and open for business. That’s one of the reasons Michelle, Sasha, and I are here. The governor and others invited us down to enjoy the beach and the water – to let our fellow Americans know that they should come down here. And not just to support the region, but also because it’s a beautiful place to visit."

In June, the President asked Secretary Mabus, a former governor of Mississippi and a son of the Gulf Coast, to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan.

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