86th Congress, 1958-1961

The legislative files series consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, drafts of bills, and other materials recording Rivers' legislative activities. Included are bills Rivers introduced and legislation he or the people in his congressional district supported. The file primarily concerns legislation pertaining to the armed services and to military-related industries. Rivers, who once stated that "the members of the armed forces are entitled to a standard of living equal to the standard of living they are defending," introduced and supported legislation that increased military pay, improved medical and dental insurance for service personnel and their families, and favored Charleston with a remarkable array of defense installations, including air bases, supply depots, hospitals, shipyards, and missile facilities.