Cantor not expecting Senate to finish healthcare this year

The Senate is unlikely to finish its work on healthcare this year, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) asserted Thursday.

Cantor suggested that the House wouldn't have an opportunity to act again on health reform legislation this year, due to inaction in the upper chamber.

"I think they have got some kind of puzzle to figure out in the Senate," Cantor said during an interview on CNBC, predicting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would be unable to finish up floor action on his bill, which is set to begin next week.

Cantor said the health bill presented senators "too much for them to deal with," and "then we're into the election year, and then it becomes even more difficult."

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced changes to the House calendar on Wednesday that would keep the House working until right before Christmas, leaving a window open for the body to potentially finish work on a conferenced health bill.

But the ability of the House to proceed on any legislation will depend largely on the Senate, where Reid is expecting hours of debate, and has to work out the final language of some provisions in order to win the votes of some centrist Democrats, who have expressed discomfort with some aspects of the bill.

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