House Dem chair expresses frustration with Senate

Dozens of bills that have passed the House remain stuck in the Senate, to the dismay of the lower chamber's Democrats, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus lamented Wednesday.

Politicking in the upper chamber is squarely to blame, as it has obstructed the chamber from progressing on the healthcare front, adopting a green energy bill, passing a jobs bill, introducing a financial regulatory reform package or finishing a student loan bill, Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), told MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan.

Ultimately, the Senate's legislative pace has not only frustrated Democrats in the House, who have passed all of those bills, but the American voters who sent them there to finish the job, Larson added.

"Theres a host of things that we've passed already, and there needs to be action in the Senate, and people are tired of it," Larson said, noting he was "glad the president cited the House" for making more progress than the Senate in last week's State of the Union address.

"The issue here is, whether it's Democrat or whether it's Republican, is [voters] want to see action," the chairman added.

Tension between the House and Senate is a historic feature of Congress, but the infighting currently plaguing Democrats in both chambers seems somewhat atypical.

Much of the frustration stems from the ongoing healthcare debate. House lawmakers remain unsatisfied with their Senate colleagues' bill, but Senate Democrats maintain they votes to adopt a new piece of legislation that would appeal more to liberals in the House.

That struggle, though, is but a microcosm of other, implicit legislative battles between the two chambers -- on job creation, regulatory reform and a handful of other policy fronts. It has grown so frustrating for House Democrats, in particular, that House Democratic Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) even said last week, "The House... has some problems trusting the Senate."

Larson seemed to share other Democrats' concerns, but he ultimately sounded a more positive note on Wednesday.

"It's two bodies, but we're going to get there," he said.

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