The Washington Commanders are another step closer to the possibility of returning to the franchise鈥檚 old home in the nation鈥檚 capital.
A provision to transfer the land that is the from the federal government to the District of Columbia is included in , which lawmakers are racing to pass.
It鈥檚 a significant victory for the organization and the NFL after controlling owner Josh Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell on the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act earlier this month.
Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a 鈥済iant step forward鈥� to unlocking the site鈥檚 potential.
鈥淎s a city, we have worked for years to get control of the RFK campus,鈥� Bowser said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e celebrating this moment, and we鈥檙e looking to the future of a field of possibilities on the banks of the Anacostia.鈥�
One possibility is obviously a football stadium.
The Commanders are considering places in the district, Maryland and Virginia to build a stadium in the coming years. Their lease at in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027, and for a new one.
The team played at RFK Stadium 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) east of the Capitol from 1961-96 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships from 1982-91.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., praised the move as evidence Congress is doing its job to oversee the city.
鈥淭his landmark legislation will unlock the district鈥檚 full potential, generate meaningful new jobs, and add millions in additional city revenue for the nation鈥檚 capital,鈥� Comer said in a statement. 鈥淲ithout Congressional action, this land would remain vacant, leaving ongoing maintenance costs and liabilities to burden the American taxpayer. Now is the time to get the federal government out of the way and empower local officials to clean up the RFK site, invest and create new economic opportunities.鈥�
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AP NFL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
