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Last week Rivers hit McNamara where it really hurt. In a major economy move, McNamara has marked 669 military installations for elimination or reduction. Since political points are scored by the amount of defense spending a politician can bring to his district, the order is unpopular with most Congressmen—including Mendel Rivers, in whose Charleston district the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard all have installations.
Rivers therefore sponsored an amendment to a military construction bill that would give either branch of Congress the right to veto a shutdown or curtailment of activity at any military installation.
The House, by a voice vote, whooped the Rivers amendment through. There was the clear threat of a presidential veto. But that would further impair the relationship between Rivers and McNamara, and McNamara is likely to be dealing with Rivers for a long while. "I don't intend to relinquish this gavel soon," says Rivers. "I'm in reasonably good health."