RFK bill passes Senate committee vote

WASHINGTON - A bill to grant Washington, D.C. control of the federal land where the old RFK Stadium site is located has passed, the first step in luring the Washington Commanders back to the District. 

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered several bills in a hearing Tuesday morning, including H.R. 4984 which would grant the District of Columbia a 99-year lease for the old Robert F. Kennedy Stadium site, owned by the National Park Service.

Montana Sen. Steve Daines initially opposed the bill, and called for the NFL and the Commanders to do more to recognize the legacy of Walter "Blackie" Weitzel, a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana who designed the teams old Native American logo. The logo was dropped in 2020 after years of pressure. 

On Tuesday, Daines said he would support the bill – with the condition that the Commanders honor its commitments to "restore the logo to prominence." 

The final committee vote was 17-2. 

"Let's go Commanders," said Senator Joe Manchin after roll call was announced. 

What's next? 

The Senate still has to approve the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act before the city can use the land to build a new stadium, or use the land for other opportunities. But the city is one step closer to potentially luring the Washington Commanders from Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, back to the nation's capital. 

"Today's result is an exciting and significant step forward for the city of Washington D.C. as it looks to gain long-term control of the RFK site. The Commanders have been fortunate to have interest from three incredible jurisdictions as we search for a new home and stadium. The vote today brings us one step closer towards continuing conversations with D.C., along with Maryland and Virginia, as a potential future home for our franchise," said a Commanders representative in a statement to FOX 5 DC.