Senior Dem blames gridlock in Congress on 'outliers'

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Thursday laid the blame for partisan gridlock in Congress on a group of "outliers" from the far right and left who refuse to compromise.

"When you elect outliers with only one agenda, you can't move forward," said Feinstein in a speech before about 200 people on Thursday, as reported by the Whittier, Calif., Daily News. 

The liberal Democrat from California went on to suggest that many of those responsible for slowing progress do so because they are unenlightened. 

"What you learn is how good democracy is, but it depends on enlightened people," she said.

The Senate's progress on a myriad of issues has been stalled this year by partisan bickering. Several conservative freshman Republicans, in particular, have deployed arcane rules in the upper chamber in order to stop legislation, or delay it as a form of protest. 

Feinstein, who has been in the Senate since 1992, also harkened back to a time she said she remembers when legislation needed just 51 votes to pass, rather than the 60 that has been the historical threshold. 

"It stops legislation," said Feinstein of the supermajority currently required.

"We used to be[ing] able to pass something by a simple majority," said Feinstein. "That's the American way."