DC expected to gain control of RFK Stadium site after bill passes Senate overnight
WASHINGTON - D.C. is expected to get full control of the RFK Stadium site after Congress passed a government funding bill that includes the RFK bill.
At the beginning of last week, the government funding bill included within it the bill that would transfer control of the RFK Stadium site to D.C. but that was taken out and all hope for the bill passing seemed lost until a last-minute Hail Mary.
The bill, which would give the Commanders the option to be in D.C., passed and is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk.
Just after 1 a.m. Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought the bill up for unanimous consent — all 100 senators had to agree to it.
That included the two Democratic senators from Maryland who at one point held the bill up until they got assurances about the future of the Northwest Stadium site should the team leave. And Republican Sen. Mike Lee who voted against the bill in committee just a few weeks ago.
The entire Senate said yes when it seemed just hours before like this bill just simply would not pass in this Congress. So President Biden is widely expected to sign this bill.
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It gives the District 99 years of control of the 170-acre RFK site. It will enable the District to put forth an offer and work to make a deal with the Commanders to entice them to come back to the district.
The NFL and Commanders lobbied for this, as did D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. The unlikely partnership between Bowser and Republican House Oversight Chair James Comer also helped make this a reality.
In a statement, Comer said this was a bipartisan success that will save taxpayers money.
The Mayor’s staff is not saying much about what happened last minute to bring this over the goal line, but on Wednesday, FOX 5 asked Mayor Bowser about her relationship with Comer.
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"I think we had a breakthrough when we testified in front of Chairman Comer and he and Congresswoman Norton introduced this bill. Bipartisan effort. It has been a bipartisan effort throughout the process," Bowser said. "Chairman Comer and I share two great goals for the district. The district getting control of the RFK campus. Getting the federal workforce to return to the office and we have been steadfast partners in that effort."
The Commanders expressed gratitude in a statement Saturday, saying, "This bill will create an equal playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans."
DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson released a statement regarding the federal legislation to allow the District to redevelop the RFK site on Saturday, saying, "We are grateful the legislation passed and that this large tract will not continue to deteriorate with a crumbling stadium on it. At the same time, it is unfortunate that the Senate found unanimous consent to move the legislation concerning RFK, but is leaving untouched ten judicial vacancies. This continues to be a setback to the District’s public safety ecosystem. I would also be remiss to not emphasize that the continuing resolution underfunds, our police by $10 million."
There is no word on when Biden expects to sign the bill. Once he does, the real jockeying and dealmaking begins as D.C., Maryland and Virginia compete to land the team’s new stadium.