Earlier this month, President Barack Obama proposed a detailed plan to strengthen our nation's economy: the American Jobs Act. When enacted, this robust, detailed, and fiscally responsible plan will have an immediate and positive impact on Baltimore, and will help put Baltimoreans back to work.

Many of President Obama's proposals will directly benefit the people of Baltimore-first by keeping the important payroll tax cut in place so families in Baltimore take home more of their paychecks. Importantly, the President also announced a bold plan to invest $30 billion for school construction for the top 100 school districts most in need, which will help our efforts to modernize Baltimore's public schools. To build on our efforts to strengthen neighborhoods and eliminate blight, the President proposed $15 billion for Project Rebuild, which works much like the successful Neighborhood Stabilization Program that has helped many Baltimore neighborhoods.

This week, I was honored to be invited to the White House to a meeting between my fellow mayors and administration officials to discuss the American Jobs Act. My colleagues, who included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, spoke about how the President's plan will benefit us during these challenging times. For my colleagues and for our cities, the American Jobs Act reflects President Obama's commitment to strengthening this country and putting people back to work.

Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey stated that in 2009, there was a significant increase in the poverty rate in Baltimore. Clearly, the Great Recession has hit America's cities particularly hard, and pushed more families into poverty. That is why Congress must work now to pass the American Jobs Act.

The American Jobs Act will cut payroll taxes for Baltimore families-keeping more money in their paychecks; extend unemployment benefits for Baltimoreans looking for jobs; create new tax incentives for small businesses to create jobs; build or renovate thousands of new schools in America's poorest school districts-immediately creating new construction jobs; and fund rehabilitation and demolition of vacant buildings in struggling neighborhoods.

Families in Baltimore and throughout the country are hurting and struggling everyday to stay afloat. Just saying 'no' to the American Jobs Act is not an option. Failure to act only means more families will fall behind and slip into poverty. It is time for Congress to act now and pass this bill to create more job opportunities for Baltimore families.