▁attempted ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁later - conv icted ▁perpet r ator ▁of ▁My ▁La i , ▁Army ▁ 2 nd ▁L t . ▁William ▁Cal ley , ▁by ▁quickly ▁holding ▁hear ings ▁of ▁his ▁sub comm ittee ▁on ▁My ▁La i , ▁calling ▁every ▁major ▁witness ▁to ▁the ▁event ▁( including ▁Thompson ) ▁before ▁the ▁sub comm ittee , ▁and ▁then ▁ref using ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁trans cript s ▁of ▁the ▁testim ony , ▁so ▁that ▁military ▁pro sec utors ▁would ▁be ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁calling ▁those ▁persons ▁as ▁witness es ▁at ▁Cal ley ' s ▁court ▁mart ial . ▁ ▁House ▁Ar med ▁Services ▁Chair man ▁ ▁R ivers ▁became ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁Ar med ▁Services ▁Committee ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁following ▁the ▁ret irement ▁of ▁Carl ▁Vin son . ▁Upon ▁moving ▁into ▁the ▁Ray burn ▁House ▁Office ▁Building , ▁R ivers ▁placed ▁a ▁pla que ▁of ▁Article ▁ 1 , ▁Section ▁ 8 ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁that ▁specified ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ative ▁process ▁with ▁the ▁military . ▁He ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁Congress ▁should ▁not ▁delegate ▁its ▁powers ▁to ▁the ▁President ▁nor ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Def ense ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁vig orous ▁Congress ▁would ▁make ▁the ▁President ▁perform ▁his ▁job ▁better . ▁As ▁R ivers ▁ins pected ▁the ▁committee ▁room , ▁he ▁became ▁inc ensed ▁when ▁he ▁discovered ▁clo ak rooms ▁ad jo ining ▁the ▁chamber ▁for ▁the ▁Democratic ▁and ▁Republican ▁Party ▁members ▁to ▁discuss ▁strategy . ▁R ivers ▁viewed ▁national ▁defense ▁as ▁a