Legislation allowing D.C. to redevelop RFK Stadium and potentially bring the Washington Commanders to their old home is now in jeopardy less than 24 hours after appearing likely to move forward in Congress.
Likewise, full funding for a new Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland — along with a provision giving D.C.’s National Guard fighter jets to that state — was thrown into uncertainty after House Republicans scrapped a federal spending bill Wednesday evening that had been released just a day before and included those regional priorities.
The swift rejection of the spending bill — after President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk escalated Republican opposition — threatens to unravel weeks of negotiations that led to the inclusion of all three provisions in the spending bill, which is intended to avert a government shutdown.
The RFK legislation would transfer control of the federal property surrounding the stadium to D.C., allowing Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) to negotiate with the Commanders to possibly lure them from their home in Prince George’s County back to the site near the Anacostia River where they won three Super Bowl championships.
