Maryland’s senators are reportedly looking to barter their approval of the Washington Commanders leaving Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, in exchange for one of D.C.’s Air National Guard squadrons heading back their way.
Washington, D.C., leaders want to redevelop the defunct Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, located along the banks of the Anacostia River, so that the Washington Commanders will return to playing their home games in Washington. They have been searching for a new home for years, but new developments have revealed just how far recent discussions have gone.
Owner Josh Harris, who only bought the team in July 2023, has called Washington, D.C., the top choice for the Commanders over Virginia and Maryland. Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have spoken with top congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), according to the Washington Post.
Schumer reportedly told Goodell and Harris they needed to “solve [the problem] with the Maryland senators,” a source familiar with the matter told the outlet.
The land that RFK Stadium resides on belongs to the federal government, so redeveloping the stadium requires congressional approval.
The bill, which would authorize the stadium’s redevelopment, passed the House and moved from a Senate committee with bipartisan support, but with the congressional session quickly coming to a close, the bill’s supporters lobbied for the bill to be attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, which must be passed this year.
Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have said they would only vote in favor of the RFK provision in exchange for the D.C. Air National Guard giving Maryland one of its squadrons.
In a statement, Cardin and Van Hollen said it would not be fair for the federal government to take land away for free, which would give Washington an advantage in acquiring the Commanders’s home games.
“It’s not in the best interest of federal taxpayers, and good-faith negotiations should be on a level playing field,” the senators said in a statement. “We will continue pressing for a fair process and direct engagement between Maryland and the Commanders.”
The RFK Stadium deal’s passage would not guarantee the district gains control of the team’s stadium, but it would expedite the ability for redevelopment plans and negotiations with the Commanders.
The push for Maryland to acquire one of the D.C. Air National Guard’s air squadrons came after the U.S. Air Force decided in March that it would end Maryland’s flying mission upon the retirement of 21 aging planes. In exchange, the state would receive a ground unit with cyber responsibilities if approved by Congress. The plan would not allow for the state to retain experienced pilots in its guard.
In April, the state’s congressional leaders called for Washington, D.C., to give Maryland control of D.C.’s 121st squadron, according to the outlet.
This suggestion generated strong opposition from Washington, D.C., leaders, with Democratic D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton writing in a letter to U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall that this would “gut” D.C. Air National Guard.
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“Transfer would leave the DCNG with no aviation units, forcing it to be reliant on the goodwill of other National Guards for common aviation matters that arise in D.C., such as intercepting aircraft, patrolling the skies, and rescuing or evacuating people in emergencies,” Norton said in a statement on Tuesday. “While D.C. could request assistance from other National Guards, there is no guarantee the air assets would be provided in a timely manner — or at all.”
Meanwhile, revamping the vacant stadium has been on District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser’s radar for quite some time. Findings from a study she commissioned revealed that reopening RFK could result in 2,095 new jobs per year and $1.26 billion in annual revenue.
