Rep. James Comer, chairman of the powerful congressional committee that oversees D.C., is preparing to introduce legislation that could ultimately allow the District to build a Washington Commanders football stadium or another mixed-use development at the decrepit RFK Stadium site — a major development in Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s pursuit to bring the team back to the city.
A House Oversight Committee spokesman confirmed Thursday that Comer (R-Ky.) is preparing the legislation that could allow D.C. to develop the RFK site, which is on federal land, although he stressed it would not be a land sale. The spokesman, Austin Hacker, said that details of the legislation have not been finalized and that talks are ongoing with Bowser’s office.
Comer’s legislation, once it is introduced, could mark a new chapter for D.C. as it competes with Maryland and Virginia for a chance to woo the Commanders to a new stadium from its current site in Prince George’s County, Md. Bowser (D) has long sought to bring the Commanders back to D.C. — although federal legislation freeing up the RFK site would be just a first step toward that goal, with a number of hurdles remaining, including a divided D.C. Council, whose members have differing opinions about how the site should be used.
