Rep. Ben Ray Luján, Northern New Mexico's new congressman, returned home to tout the $787 billion economic stimulus package President Barack Obama will sign today in neighboring Colorado.

Luján, in a speech to state House and Senate members, said Monday it's estimated 22,000 jobs would be saved or created in New Mexico, roughly one-third of those in his district.

"It will be the foundation we need to start to reverse the economic decline," he said.

Luján, a Democrat who was sworn in to his first term last month, spoke in the House chamber presided over by his father, Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé.

The congressman is a former elected member of the state's Public Regulation Commission.

The big stimulus bill provides billions of dollars for unemployment benefits, food stamps, medical care, job retraining and more. Tens of billions will offset cuts that states otherwise have to make in schools and local governments.

"We hope that this investment will assist you in addressing the looming state shortfall," Luján said.

Lawmakers already have had to plug a $450 million hole in the current year's $6 billion state budget. Now, faced with a worsening revenue picture, they must come up with at least $400 million just to keep next year's budget flat.

The federal stimulus package also provides more than $48 billion for transportation projects, such as road and bridge construction, mass transit and high-speed rail.

And the bill contains tax relief, much of it in the form of a $400 break for individuals and $800 for couples.

"We all recognize that this is not a perfect piece of legislation, but we can all agree that doing nothing was simply not the solution," Luján said.

The congressman said road and other construction projects could get under way around the state within 90 days.

"Those workers will need clothes, housing, transportation and hot meals," Luján said. "They will be the center of our economic recovery."

He also put in a plug for a bill pending in the Legislature that requires more collaboration between state agencies and tribes.

"We've always been leaders when it comes to working with our sovereign brothers and sisters," said Luján, whose district — roughly the northern half of the state — takes in 14 pueblos and parts of the Navajo Nation and Jicarilla Apache reservation.




© Copyright Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.