EDINBURG, February 17 - The federal stimulus passed Thursday will create thousands of jobs in South Texas, the White House reported Tuesday.

Congressmen for South Texas are speaking positively on the more than 23,000 jobs to be created in their respective districts as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law today by President Obama in Denver.

Reps. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, say the “historic legislation” is urgently needed to transform the economy for future growth. Texas as a whole stands to create 269,000 jobs as a result of the stimulus, the White House says.

“I believe that this plan has the potential to give the Rio Grande Valley a real shot in the arm through infrastructure projects, school modernization, and job training programs that will put our residents back to work,” Hinojosa told the Guardian.

Hinojosa's Congressional District 15 can expect 7,600 jobs to be created as a result of the stimulus package, according to the White House. Cuellar’s District 28 can expect to see 8,100 jobs created and Ortiz’s District 27 is forecast to have 7,600 new jobs.

“We know it will take time for our economy to recover, but I am confident that this package will make our region stronger and more competitive in the long term,” Hinojosa said.

The compromise package of $789 billion will create or save 3.5 million jobs over the next two years, according to White House officials. Jobs created will be in a range of industries from clean energy to health care, with over 90 percent in the private sector.

The package includes a Making Work Pay tax credit for 95 percent of workers and their families and provides direct relief for families by expanding unemployment insurance and offering payments to Social Security beneficiaries and veterans.

The vast majority of the remainder of the package is provided in state fiscal relief and investments that also benefit working families, according to the White House.

Ortiz told the Guardian that in the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression the bill is expected to create 3.5 million jobs nationwide.

Ortiz said there were no earmarks in the stimulus package. He said the bill would help 711,000 Texans maintain health coverage and extend unemployment benefits. About 95 percent of workers should expect to get tax cuts, Ortiz said.

“There is no doubt that our state and our communities will benefit from this recovery package’s projects and initiatives,” Ortiz said. “I look forward to working with our state and local officials on advocating for funding that will put our people to work.”

With an estimated 20,000 Americans losing their jobs each day, and with Texans losing their homes, health care, and life savings sitting idly by was not an option, according to Cuellar.

Cuellar said that in addition to the 269,000 Texans being put to work, tens of billions of dollars in tax cuts and key infrastructure investments are key aspects of the stimulus package.

“I applaud the efforts of President Obama to help find a fix to the American economy. It took a long time for the economy to get to this point, and just three weeks into his presidency, President Obama has already found a way to help jumpstart the economy,” Cuellar said.

“This jobs bill isn’t a silver bullet, but it is a bold and decisive step in the right direction. Its impact on Texas families is impossible to overstate and should not be overlooked.”

Cuellar said that in the “urgent drive” to fix the American economy, haste must not make waste. “The next step will be aggressive, unprecedented oversight to make sure that every penny is accounted for and spent wisely,” Cuellar said.

The bill contains $326 billion in personal and business tax breaks and tax provisions affecting payments to the states for total of $789 billion in spending and tax cuts.

Following Obama’s lead in holding town hall meetings about the stimulus package, Cuellar said he will host district-wide economic recovery briefings in seven cities - Laredo, Seguin, Floresville, Pleasanton, Zapata, Rio Grande City, and McAllen.

Cuellar said he will be joined by elected officials, educators, and business leaders to discuss the stimulus package.

“With Texans losing jobs, their health care, and their savings, the time has come for urgent action. I’m looking forward to hearing ideas from communities across South Texas and to sharing news of the recent jobs bill that is estimated to put 269,000 Texans to work,” Cuellar said.