Joined by officials including U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as well as labor union and business leaders at the White House, Obama said the failure of not passing an extension of a highway bill that expires at the end of September would be " inexcusable" and "not acceptable".

 

The bill provides funding for highway construction, bridge repair, mass transit systems and other essential transportation projects. "And for construction workers and their families across the country, it represents the difference between making ends meet or not making ends meet," Obama added.

 

"It's inexcusable to put more jobs at risk in an industry that' s already been one of the hardest hit over the last decade," Obama noted.

 

The United States lost more than 8 million jobs in the financial crisis triggered by the burst of the housing bubble, and the construction sector was severely hit by the economic downturn.

 

Obama warned that if the transportation bill expires, more than 4,000 workers will be immediately furloughed without pay; and if it is delayed even longer, almost one million workers could lose their jobs over the course of the next year.

 

The U.S. president also urged Congress to move forward to extend the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s operating authority, which expires in mid-September.

 

After a two-week partial shutdown this summer, Congress passed earlier this month a short-term FAA funding extension till September 16th.

 

With the country's unemployment rate hovering at 9.1 percent, creating jobs now tops the agenda of the Obama administration.

 

 

Xinhua