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WASHINGTON—The RFK Stadium bill advanced out of a Senate committee Tuesday, leaving one more significant step before it heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.
The legislation—which would make D.C. a player for the next home for a new Commanders stadium—passed the Energy and Natural Resources Committee by a 17-2 margin after Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.) backed off his opposition to the legislation that would give D.C. control of the federally controlled land where the team played for decades. That leaves about a month before Congress is expected to adjourn on Dec. 20—the deadline to pass legislation to avoid a government shutdown—to get the bill through the Senate.
“”It’s just something that needed to be done,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.V.), the chair of the committee, told Front Office Sports after the hearing. “If you call them the Washington Commanders, don’t you think you should be in Washington?”
Manchin said he is “very hopeful” that the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act can be packaged with other pending legislation since it’s unlikely to get a floor vote as a solo bill—and the lobbying effort is already underway. NFL, Commanders, and D.C. officials have been in contact with Senate leaders, encouraging them to roll the RFK Stadium bill into a piece of legislation that will get a vote before the end of the year, a source with knowledge of the talks told Front Office Sports.
“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,” a Commanders spokesperson said in a statement to FOS. “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.”
The Commanders’ options for a new stadium somewhere in the D.C.–Maryland–Virginia area are more plentiful under Josh Harris—who purchased the Commanders for $6.05 billion in 2023—than with previous owner Dan Snyder. (Snyder and the Commanders were the target of multiple investigations and Snyder faced potential removal as an owner before he sold.) The team’s success this season (7-4) also doesn’t hurt.
“Josh Harris is a great leader and I think everyone is appreciative of his commitment,” Manchin said. “You can see that in the enthusiasm surrounding the team and the morale of the fans.”
Sens. Mike Lee (R., Utah) and Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) were the two “no” votes at Tuesday’s markup. While either could change their mind if the legislation gets to the floor for vote before the full Senate, there are two others who will likely vote against it: Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Both voiced concerns that the bill gives D.C. an unfair advantage as Maryland seeks to retain the Commanders, who have played at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., since the 1996 NFL season.
“Our priority is not to block the transfer of the RFK property from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia, but to ensure a fair process in the selection of a Commanders stadium site and prevent actions that unfairly tilt the scales in favor of one location over another at the expense of federal taxpayers,” Van Hollen said in a statement to FOS.
The Office of D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development released a study in June that estimated an NFL franchise based in the District would generate $1.26 billion in economic revenue annually, $26 million in tax revenue per year, and more than 2,000 jobs.
The House of Representatives passed the RFK Stadium bill by a 348–55 margin in February. The only block of opposition was from Maryland’s eight representatives. Seven voted against the bill and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.) abstained.
“The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act will help pave a path for the nation’s capital to create meaningful new jobs, add millions in city revenue, and transform the city’s vacant RFK waterfront into a lively destination for all Americans,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who co-sponsored the bill with D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, said in a statement.
But the bill stagnated for months in the Senate, at least partially because Daines voiced his objections to the 99-year lease that would give D.C. the ability to develop the 174 acres under and around the Commanders’ former home. The old RFK Stadium—where the Commanders played before relocating—is in the process of being demolished.
Daines urged the Commanders to recognize the efforts of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel, the late Blackfeet tribal member who helped create the team’s former logo with Native American imagery that the franchise used from 1972 to 2020. The team held a private ceremony with descendants of Wetzel at Northwest Stadium earlier this season where a plaque commemorating Wetzel was unveiled.
Daines said he had a conversation with the grandson of Wetzel a couple hours before Tuesday’s hearing.
“Over the last year, I’ve expressed my opposition to this bill moving forward until the Commanders and the NFL right the wrong that was done to the Wetzel family, the Blackfeet nation, and other tribal stakeholders in Montana and around the nation,” Daines said. “Last week on the floor of the U.S. Senate…I spoke about the misguided and blatant attempts by the team, the league, and media affiliates to censor a proud logo.”
In May, Daines mentioned that the Commanders should bring back the logo in some form—something sources told FOS several times was a nonstarter for the team and the league. The Wetzel family have sought permission to use the old logo, although the Commanders and NFL are hesitant to release control over the trademarked image over fears of how it could be used.
Even if the Senate passes the bill and Biden signs it into law before his term ends in January, a stadium is just one potential use of the land and there would be no guarantees that the Commanders would choose to relocate the team there. Other options under the lease include affordable housing and parks.
The Commanders are aiming to open their new home by the 2030 NFL season, and team officials haven’t made known where they prefer to put a replacement for Northwest Stadium, continually ranked worst among the 30 NFL stadiums.
Beyond a stadium, the Commanders also have to determine if the team’s headquarters and practice facility—also among the worst in the NFL—will be located on the same land as a new stadium. Those facilities are currently in Loudoun County and a nearby plot of land could very well be in the mix among potential sites in Northern Virginia.
