The House members there mostly represented conservative constituencies, like Dave McCurdy of Oklahoma, or had an interest in national security and foreign policy, like Steve Solarz of New York.
" The feeling was that it was clear that the American people weren't ready to support this pay raise, " said a spokesman for Solarz, who had gone out on a limb to support the increase while his political archrival in Brooklyn, Charles Schumer, kept a low profile.