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D.C. wants the Senate to attach the RFK Stadium bill to a must-pass legislative package moving through Congress, according to a source involved in the negotiations.
Why it matters: RFK just gained approval to be demolished but the long-awaited bill that would kickstart the 190-acre federal property's redevelopment — and potentially bring a new Commanders football stadium — has been stuck in a Senate committee.
Behind the scenes: The Bowser administration asked Senate Democrats to tack the RFK bill to the FAA reauthorization measure, according to the source, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly.
The FAA reauthorization — an otherwise mundane bill to keep U.S. aviation running safely — is one of the last opportunities to get legislation approved before the November election. A May 10 deadline looms to pass both chambers.
Senators are lining up to push for their amendments, as Axios' Stef Kight reports. Some are relevant to the aviation bill at hand, and others not at all.
Yes, but: Senate leadership is divided over whether to allow unrelated attachments. Some would be popular, but it could open a can of worms and risk approval in the House, leadership aides tell Axios.
Nonetheless, D.C. is hoping — "praying" — that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), who holds the bill in his committee, will make a late move, the source expressed.
