House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) responded to the announcement of the agreement between the D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Washington Commanders. The deal aims to develop the vacant area around the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Southeast D.C.
“This new deal will help make D.C. beautiful by revitalizing the vacant and deteriorating RFK Memorial Stadium campus in our nation’s capital. It will unlock the city’s full economic potential, generate meaningful new jobs, and add millions in city revenue,” Comer stated. He also highlighted the bipartisan efforts that led to this agreement, expressing commitment to working with District leaders for the city’s prosperity.
Once an important site for D.C. residents, the stadium campus has fallen into disuse, featuring unused parking lots and open fields. A legislative initiative, the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act (H.R. 4984), was introduced by Comer in July 2023. This bipartisan law transfers jurisdiction from the Secretary of the Interior to the District of Columbia, allowing for redevelopment without federal taxpayer funds.
The legislation received approval from the House of Representatives in February 2024, cleared the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in November 2024, and was passed by the U.S. Senate in December 2024. It became law in January 2025 after being signed by former President Joe Biden.
