Congress passes RFK Stadium bill in stunning win for D.C.
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RFK Stadium is awaiting to be torn down. Photo: Tom Brenner/Getty Images
The Senate stunned D.C. early Saturday — passing the RFK Stadium bill after it looked dead.
Why it matters: With President Biden's signature, the District would get 99-year control over the federal land, allowing the city to begin negotiations with the Washington Commanders for a new football stadium and envision residential and commercial development at the site.
Flashback: Boy, did it take a lot to get here: several years of Congressional lobbying from the Commanders, District officials and even the NFL.
- It looked certain to pass inside a big year-end spending bill last week, before that blew up following backlash from President-elect Trump and Elon Musk.
Replay: At 1:15am on Saturday, moments after averting a government shutdown, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought the RFK Stadium bill to the Senate floor. No senator voiced opposition. Cue unanimous approval.
- "Truly a Christmas miracle," tweeted Lindsey Appiah, a D.C. deputy mayor.
What they're saying: Mayor Muriel Bowser and Republican Kentucky Rep. James Comer, who shepherded the bill through Congress, celebrated the bipartisan bill.
- "If Congress failed to pass my RFK stadium legislation, this decaying land in D.C. would continue to cost taxpayers a fortune to maintain," Comer said in a tweet.
Between the lines: Assurances were made to some key senators who were previously impediments to the RFK bill, including Maryland's two Democratic senators and Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee, according to the Washington Post.
- Bowser said she "made some commitments to Mike Lee, absolutely," to guarantee he would not object during the voice vote. She did not elaborate to the Post.
What's next: The Bowser administration and Commanders ownership can begin talking over terms for a possible stadium.
- D.C. may offer some taxpayer investment in demolishing the decaying RFK Stadium and preparing the underlying infrastructure on the land for future development. But it would be a hard sell to offer direct public funds for a sports team's stadium.
- The D.C. Council will have the final say over any stadium deal.
- All the while, Maryland will still compete to keep the team, at Northwest Stadium or elsewhere, and Virginia could also make a last-minute push.
The bottom line: D.C.'s hope is to "bring this currently blighted property back to life—sports, jobs, parks and housing," Bowser tweeted. "A win for our nation's capital, region and nation."