The mayor has long seen the RFK legislation as the first step to starting more serious conversations with leaders Owner Josh Harris is tempted to lure the team back to its former home, and Wednesday’s passing brings Bowser closer to that goal — though it’s still far from guaranteed.

“Tonight’s vote was an important step forward in our efforts to unlock the full potential of the RFK campus – for residents, visitors, the community and the return of D.C.,” Bowser said in a statement.

The legislation was supported by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, which has traditionally supported it. Targeted DC over crime and police issues. His leadership and partnership with Bowser and DC Del Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), the bill’s lead sponsor, became one of the most interesting political developments of the past year and ultimately served as a powerful bipartisan group that helped move the bill around. Finish line for home.

Comer said he decided to introduce the legislation after conversations with Bowser about how the redevelopment of RFK could be a major economic boost for the city and could turn the dilapidated stadium back into a D.C. asset, new stadium or not.

In his speech Wednesday, Comer praised Congress’ extensive oversight of the city — including a bipartisan crackdown on the city’s revised criminal code last year — and said this bill was an extension of that “constitutional duty.”

The bill “represents Congress doing its job of overseeing the district by allowing optimal use of the district’s lands to help the city thrive,” Comer said. “We should want this for the nation’s capital, home to a taxpayer federal workforce and a city that hosts millions of American visitors and global tourists every year.”

The legislation would transfer administrative control of the 174-acre riverfront parcel from the federal government to D.C., for 99 years with no lease costs, opening up a range of development possibilities from a soccer stadium to restaurants, shops and housing. The city will pay any costs associated with remediation or environmental assessments of the land, along with demolition of the vacant stadium and future development and maintenance of the site. Norton and Comer described the arrangement as a “win-win” for Washington, D.C., and the National Park Service, which will no longer bear the costs of maintaining the land. The bill would also set aside 30 percent of the land for park and open space and require maintaining access to the Anacostia River.

“We cannot allow the largest piece of unused land in D.C. to continue to collapse when it could be used productively,” Norton said. He said on X.

Bowser and Council President Phil Mendelsohn D sent House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D.N.Y.) a similar message Wednesday morning. They urged support for the bill so the region could pursue new development that could “create thousands of new jobs” and become “an attractive destination, not only for the enjoyment of area residents, but also for the 21 million visitors who travel to the area.” capital of the country annually.

And perhaps strategically, They did not mention any potential soccer stadium — something Mendelsohn was not enthusiastic about anyway, and which was also an issue for some members of Congress who opposed the idea of ​​using public funds or public lands to create a stadium. The legislation prohibits the use of federal funds to build the stadium, but not local funds.

As the RFK bill made its way through the House, the regional competition to host the leaders in a new stadium hung prominently in the background. Harris spoke with Bowser, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) about the possibility of a new stadium in one of the three jurisdictions -And in D.C., any more serious discussions depend entirely on Congress passing RFK legislation.

The bill passed Wednesday despite united opposition from the Maryland delegation, with Moore vying to keep the leaders in their current home — which will soon no longer be called FedEx Field.

“Like other members of the Maryland delegation, I believe that Prince George’s County, Maryland, should be able to compete on an equal footing to keep Washington’s leaders,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.). “But this bill gives an unfair advantage to D.C. It is certainly not a level playing field when one interested jurisdiction gets a free transfer of federally subsidized land.”

Raskin’s vote was not recorded, but when a reporter asked him why he did not vote, Raskin returned to the House floor. To try to remedy that. He said he intended to vote no.

Raskin, usually one of D.C.’s staunch home rule allies, said he doesn’t view this bill as a home rule issue because it involves federal land — which he said made land restrictions appropriate, such as not helping multi-million-dollar sports franchises with local businesses. Or federal public money.

Asked whether he would oppose public funds to modernize the FedEx field, Raskin said it would depend. If D.C. gets a gift of federal land and also sets aside public money to attract leaders, he argued, Maryland will struggle to compete and it will become unfair.

“It creates a completely different scenario. It creates the problem that I want to avoid. The problem that I want to avoid is the federal government getting involved in a huge private concession mine,” Raskin said.

Moore told reporters on Wednesday that he remained “in very close contact with the team.”

“My insistence, and our insistence that leaders remain in Prince George’s County, does not diminish at all,” he said.

FedEx terminated the naming rights deal for Commander’s Stadium two years early

Meanwhile, the Virginians have since focused more on the possibilities of a new basketball and hockey arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals after their billionaire owner Ted Leonsis announced a handshake deal with Youngkin to move the teams from D.C.’s Capital One Arena to their future home. In Potomac Yard. This major loss to D.C. — and downtown’s recovery — has only raised the stakes for Bowser as she continues to pursue the leaders.

The ownership of the leaders was watching. Mark Ain, minority owner, male “Amazingly overwhelming bipartisan support” for the legislation.

However, even with the bill’s passage in the House of Representatives, construction of a new soccer stadium at RFK — or any development there — remains a long way off.

First, the bill will head to the Senate, where there is currently no clear body to defend it. D.C. bills rarely get independent consideration on the Senate floor, and the RFK bill would be subject to a filibuster, requiring the support of 60 senators to advance. Some non-controversial bills could be put to a unanimous consent vote — though that may also be highly unlikely due to a certain pair of Marylanders who also want the leaders to remain in their state.

If the bill passes Congress and receives President Biden’s signature, D.C. will be officially in the running for leaders. The decision will be up to Harris. Moore has previously expressed openness to using public funds to upgrade their current stadium, and the state has already invested $400 million in a Blue Line corridor revitalization project in the surrounding area. Bowser and Mendelson have made a $500 million bid for Leonsis to upgrade Capital One Arena to try to keep the teams, leading some observers to wonder if that might end up as a floor in potential leaders’ talks.

Furthermore, Bowser will need support from the DC Council, which, though united on using public funds to maintain the Capitals and the Witches, is divided on using public funds to build a new football stadium. Surrounding neighbors have already expressed skepticism about the plan as well.

Many have called for the parcel to be used for affordable housing, something Bowser said should be included in any development there. She said she envisions a vibrant, mixed-use space with dining, park space and recreational opportunities — not “a lot of asphalt parking and just one use.”

A few of the longtime members of Congress who spoke in support of the bill expressed nostalgia for the days when the NFL used to be “the cornerstone of our nation’s capital’s sports legacy,” in the words of Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Mo.).

Rep. James E. Claiborne (D.S.C.): “Just two miles from Capitol Hill, RFK Stadium has been a premier sports and entertainment venue for nearly 50 years.” “Today the stadium and surrounding land sit vacant on the shore of the Anacostia River.”

Legislation could finally change that, they urged.

Erin Cox contributed to this report.