Even as Congress awaits job-creation legislation from President Barack Obama, lawmakers have yet to reauthorize or extend federal funding for surface transportation projects. Failure to do so by Sept.30, when the current measure expires, could put nearly a million jobs at risk across the United States.

Also pending is action by Congress by Sept. 30 to reauthorize or extend the provision allowing the federal government to collect fuel taxes. The 18.4-cent-per-gallon tax funds the surface transportation program.

Investment in infrastructure — including $50 billion for roads, rails and airports — was a major component of the jobs proposal Obama outlined last week, but he did not mention no mention the surface transportation bills. If there is no extension of the $51.5 billion in funding, work on more than 134,000 road and bridge projects and about 5,000 transit projects will be suspended, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. About 4,000 federal workers would face immediate furloughs.

Reauthorization or an extension of transportation funding has drawn bipartisan support from local and state leaders across the country, as well as business and labor groups. Representatives from the AFL-CIO and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, two groups that differ a lot more than they agree, joined Obama at an Aug. 30 White House event to call attention to the surface transportation issue.

House Republicans and Senate Democrats have competing proposals. The House measure would require nearly a 30 percent reduction in highway and transit programs, as funding would be limited to anticipated fuel-tax revenues over a six-year period. A Senate bill would maintain the current level of funding over two years.

With little time left before the Sept. 30 deadline — both the House and Senate will be in session at the same time for just seven days during the month — it’s doubtful agreement can be reached on any long-term reauthorization measure. So talk has centered on a short-term extension that would be the eighth since the last reauthorization bill expired in October 2009.