[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H715-H719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
D.C. ROBERT F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL STADIUM CAMPUS REVITALIZATION ACT
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4984) to amend the District of Columbia Stadium Act of 1957
to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over the
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus to the Administrator of
General Services and the leasing of the Campus to the District of
Columbia for purposes which include commercial and residential
development, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4984
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``D.C. Robert F. Kennedy
Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act''.
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDICTION OVER RFK
MEMORIAL STADIUM CAMPUS TO DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.
(a) Exercise of Transfer Authority.--
(1) Transfer.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior
(hereafter referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting under
the authority of section 8124 of title 40, United States Code
(except as provided under paragraph (2)), shall transfer
administrative jurisdiction over the Robert F. Kennedy
Memorial Stadium Campus (hereafter referred to as the
``Campus'') to the District of Columbia (hereafter referred
to as the ``District''), subject to a Declaration of
Covenants with the District which is consistent with the
succeeding provisions of this Act and which includes such
other terms and conditions as may be agreed to by the
Secretary and the District.
(2) Waiver of requirement for prior recommendation of
national capital planning commission.--The second sentence of
section 8124(a) of title 40, United States Code, shall not
apply to the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over the
Campus under this section.
(3) No effect on status of ownership of campus.--Consistent
with section 8124 of title 40, United States Code, the
transfer of administrative jurisdiction over the Campus under
this section does not change the status of the ownership of
the Campus by the United States.
(b) Development and Uses of Campus.--After transfer of
administrative jurisdiction over the Campus under this
section, the District may develop and use, and permit the
development and use of, the Campus for any of the following
purposes:
(1) Stadium purposes, including training facilities,
offices, and other structures necessary to support a stadium.
(2) Commercial and residential development.
(3) Facilities, open space, and public outdoor
opportunities, which may include supporting cultural
activities, educational activities, and recreational
activities, as such terms are defined in section 3306(a) of
title 40, United States Code.
(4) Such other public purposes for which the Campus was
used or approved for use prior to June 1, 1985.
(5) Demolition purposes to facilitate development and use
of the Campus under subparagraphs (1) through (4).
(c) Specific Requirements Relating to Development and Use
of Campus.--The Declaration of Covenants entered into under
subsection (a)(1) shall include provisions to require the
District to meet the following requirements as a condition of
the development and use of the Campus as set forth
[[Page H716]]
under subsection (b) after transfer of administrative
jurisdiction over the Campus under this section:
(1) The District shall ensure that the development and use
does not materially degrade or adversely impact any lands
under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service,
including the restoration of the wetlands south of Kingman
Island.
(2) The District shall designate, develop, operate, and
maintain at least 30 percent of the Campus (excluding the
riparian area of the Campus as defined in subsection (g)(2))
as the ``Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Park'' as parks and open
space to provide land for passive and active outdoor
recreation and shall require that portion to be reserved for
such purposes for the duration of the transfer.
(3) The District shall ensure that the development and use
provides for improved public access to the Anacostia River
and shall not interrupt the Anacostia River Trail.
(4) The District shall, to the extent necessary, ensure
that parking facilities are provided to accommodate the
development.
(5) The District shall provide for adequate public safety
and security measures and resources in the planning and
ongoing management of the development.
(6) The District shall carry out measures that, to the
greatest extent practicable, will reduce the impact of noise
and traffic of the development on surrounding residential
areas in the District.
(7) The District shall operate and maintain the riparian
area of the Campus in accordance with subsection (g).
(8) The District shall ensure that no Member of Congress,
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress, or any
other official of the Government of the United States or the
Government of the District of Columbia shall be admitted to
any share or part of any lease entered into by the District
in the exercise of the administrative jurisdiction over the
Campus transferred under this section, or to any benefit that
may arise therefrom, including any contract or agreement
made, entered into, or accepted by or on behalf of the
District as a result of this section. Nothing in the previous
sentence may be construed to apply to a person who is a
shareholder or other beneficial owner of any publicly held
corporation or other entity, if the lease is for the general
benefit of such corporation or other entity.
(d) Survey.--
(1) Requiring survey.--As soon as practicable after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the District shall conduct
a survey of the Campus, which shall determine the exact
acreage and legal description of the Campus by a boundary
survey prepared by a qualified Federally-, State-, or
District-licensed surveyor who is approved by the Secretary.
(2) Submission to congress.--Upon completion, the survey
conducted under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to--
(A) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate.
(3) Incorporation in declaration of covenants for
transfer.--The survey conducted under paragraph (1) shall be
incorporated in the Declaration of Covenants entered into
under subsection (a)(1).
(4) Availability of survey and map for public inspection.--
The survey conducted under paragraph (1), together with the
map of the Campus referred to in subsection (m), shall be
kept on file and available for public inspection in the
appropriate offices of the Secretary.
(e) Memorandum of Understanding.--As a condition of the
development and use of the Campus after transfer of
administrative jurisdiction over the Campus under this
section, the Secretary and the District shall enter into a
memorandum of understanding to determine an allocation of the
costs of carrying out all responsibilities of the United
States and the District with respect to the Campus under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Solid
Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), including any
costs of any response action with respect to any
contamination present on the Campus.
(f) Costs.--
(1) Costs of transfer.--The District shall be responsible
for payment of any costs of carrying out the transfer of
administrative jurisdiction over the Campus under this
section, including--
(A) any costs of carrying out the survey under subsection
(d); and
(B) any costs of carrying out any environmental analysis
required under Federal law.
(2) Costs after transfer.--Except as provided under the
memorandum of understanding entered into under subsection
(e), the Secretary shall not be responsible for payment of
any costs or expenses that are incurred by the District or
any other party (other than the United States) associated
with the Campus after the transfer of administrative
jurisdiction under this section.
(g) Special Rules for Riparian Area.--
(1) Restriction on development and use.--The Declaration of
Covenants entered into under subsection (a)(1) shall include
provisions to ensure that the riparian area of the Campus may
not be developed or used for any purposes other than the
continuing maintenance of any development, use, or
infrastructure (including roads and pathways) existing at the
time of the execution of the transfer of administrative
jurisdiction over the Campus under this section.
(2) Riparian area of the campus defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``riparian area of the Campus'' means
the area designated in the map referred to in subsection (m)
as ``Riparian Area (Area F)''.
(h) Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds for Stadium.--The
Declaration of Covenants entered into under subsection (a)(1)
shall include provisions to ensure that the District may not
use Federal funds for stadium purposes on the Campus,
including training facilities, offices, and other structures
necessary to support a stadium.
(i) Term.--The transfer of administrative jurisdiction over
the Campus under this section shall be in effect for a term
of not less than 99 years, and may be renewed for subsequent
periods agreed to by the Secretary and the District.
(j) Reversion of Administrative Jurisdiction.--
(1) Grounds for reversion.--The Declaration of Covenants
entered into under subsection (a)(1) shall include provisions
stating that administrative jurisdiction over the Campus
transferred under this section shall revert to the Secretary
if each of the following occurs:
(A) The terms and conditions of the Declaration of
Covenants have not been complied with, as reasonably
determined by the Secretary.
(B) Such noncompliance has not been corrected within 90
days after written notice of such noncompliance has been
received by the District. Such noncompliance shall be treated
as corrected if the District and the Secretary enter into an
agreement that the Secretary finds adequate to ensure that
the Campus will be developed and used in a manner consistent
with the purposes referred to in subsection (b).
(2) Timing.--The Secretary may not seek the reversion of
administrative jurisdiction over the Campus under this
subsection before the expiration of 90 days after the date on
which written notice of the alleged violation is received by
the District. The notice shall include notice of the
Secretary's intention for administrative jurisdiction over
the Campus to revert to the Secretary.
(3) Cost of rehabilitating property.--The Declaration of
Covenants entered into under subsection (a)(1) shall include
provisions requiring the District to bear the actual cost of
removing structures from or rehabilitating the Campus if
administrative jurisdiction over the Campus reverts to the
Secretary under this subsection.
(k) Rule of Construction Related to the Applicability to
the Administrative Jurisdiction Transfer.--Nothing in this
section may be construed to affect or limit the application
of or obligation to comply with the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal
Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.).
(l) Conforming Amendment; Termination of Existing Lease.--
Effective on the date of the transfer of administrative
jurisdiction over the Campus under this section--
(1) the District of Columbia Stadium Act of 1957 (sec. 3-
321 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is repealed; and
(2) the lease dated January 14, 1988, between the United
States and the District for the use of the Campus, as
authorized by section 7(b)(1)(B) of such Act (sec. 3-
326(b)(1)(B), D.C. Official Code), is terminated.
(m) Definition.--In this Act, the term ``Robert F. Kennedy
Memorial Stadium Campus'' means the approximately 174 acres
of Federal land as generally depicted on the map entitled
``Anacostia Park, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus -
Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction'', numbered 831/
189,767, and dated January 2024.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Weber of Texas). Pursuant to the rule,
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy) and the gentlewoman from
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
{time} 1630
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4984, a bill that will provide
economic opportunities to an area of our Nation's Capital in dire need
of revitalization.
The bill transfers administrative jurisdiction over the Robert F.
Kennedy Memorial Stadium campus from our National Park Service to the
District of Columbia.
[[Page H717]]
Under H.R. 4984, the Federal Government will retain ownership of the
land while the District of Columbia manages the development, costs, and
the use of the land.
Transferring administrative jurisdiction over property is a unique
tool for the Congress, which allows the Federal Government to retain
title to lands while the district assumes the responsibilities of
administration and maintenance.
This tool has already been used multiple times to great effect in our
Nation's Capital.
Under the current law granting D.C. a 99-year lease of land, the
District cannot engage in any commercial or residential development of
the land. With the lease set to expire in 2038, there are few options
for future use of the property without congressional action.
This status quo is untenable.
H.R. 4984 fixes this problem by allowing stadium purposes,
recreational purposes, and residential and commercial development. This
allows the District of Columbia to revitalize this site, turning what
was once a blight on our Nation's Capital into a thriving area of
commerce and community.
Importantly, the bill also imposes any remediation or environmental
costs onto the District of Columbia, saving taxpayer dollars that would
otherwise be spent by the National Park Service.
As Congress continues to carry out its oversight duties over our
Nation's Capital, this bipartisan bill will help create jobs and
improve our great Capital City.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bipartisan bill. This bill would
allow the District of Columbia to transform the RFK Stadium campus, 174
acres of underutilized Federal land in D.C. that primarily consists of
parking lots, sports fields, and a long-vacant stadium in the process
of being demolished, into a thriving mixed-use development.
The National Capital Planning Commission, the central planning agency
for the Federal Government in the District of Columbia, has long called
for the revitalization of the campus, and the Department of the
Interior testified in support of the goals of this bill.
During my tenure, Congress has passed several bipartisan bills to
transform underutilized land in D.C. into thriving mixed-use
developments, including The Yards on the southeast waterfront and The
Wharf on the southwest waterfront. Reservation 13, 67 acres next to the
RFK campus, is now being transformed into a mixed-use development.
Since 1988, D.C. has leased, without consideration, the RFK Stadium
campus from the Department of the Interior. The lease only permits D.C.
to use the campus for recreation, a stadium, and open space. The lease
expires in 2038.
This bill would give D.C. administrative jurisdiction over the campus
for at least 99 years and permit D.C. to use the campus for commercial
and residential development, recreation, a stadium, parks, and open
space.
This bill would require D.C. to preserve 30 percent of the campus for
parks and open space, and prohibit D.C. from building along the
waterfront.
This bill is a win-win for the Federal and D.C. Governments. As the
Department of the Interior testified, this bill would allow D.C. to
transform the campus from ``acres of asphalt to a complex focused on
community sports, recreation, park space, and community amenities'' and
would ``guarantee public access to a sizable amount of park land and
outdoor recreation areas.''
At the same time, this bill would allow D.C. to create a mixed-use
development and to generate significant revenue for D.C.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Comer for his leadership and
partnership on this bill, and I also thank Chairman Westerman and
Ranking Member Grijalva for their work on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Comer), the sponsor of the bill and the great chairman of
the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Langworthy) for yielding, and I thank my cosponsor, the gentlewoman
from Washington, D.C., (Ms. Norton).
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4984, which repurposes
approximately 174 acres of unused Federal land in Washington, D.C.
Despite its long history and importance to D.C. residents, the Robert
F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium campus in southeast D.C. has been abandoned
to become unused parking lots, open fields, and a deteriorating stadium
that is being demolished.
The campus is currently under a lease that requires the land to be
used for stadium purposes, recreational purposes, or other public
purposes. Under current law, the campus cannot be used for commercial
or residential development.
Absent congressional action, this land in our Nation's Capital will
remain unused with ongoing maintenance costs and environmental
liabilities remaining the full responsibility of the National Park
Service--an ongoing burden for the American taxpayer.
My bill, H.R. 4984, will change that.
The bill transfers administrative jurisdiction from the National Park
Service to Washington, D.C., while preserving the Federal Government's
ownership of the land. This allows Washington, D.C., to use the land
for stadium purposes, commercial and residential development,
recreational facilities, open spaces, or additional public purposes.
However, D.C. may not use Federal funds for any potential future
development of a sports stadium. The bill enables D.C. to transform the
unused RFK campus into stores, restaurants, office buildings, and
apartment complexes.
This economic development will help revitalize the RFK stadium
campus, creating new jobs and tax revenue for the District's residents.
Let me be clear. Congress has a constitutional duty to oversee the
Nation's Capital City. We have diligently exercised this role by
holding numerous oversight hearings in the Oversight Committee this
Congress with the Mayor of D.C., and the D.C. City Council.
We have also successfully blocked, in bipartisan fashion with the
President's support, the city council's ill-advised criminal reform
legislation from going into effect last year--the first law of the
118th Congress.
We will continue looking for legislative opportunities to return
order to the District by addressing the rising crime crises, returning
Federal workers to their offices in the District to contribute to the
local economy, and seeking ways to bolster the educational system.
The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act
also represents Congress doing its job to oversee the District by
authorizing the best utilization of area land to help the city thrive.
We should want this for our Nation's Capital City--a home to the
taxpayer's Federal workforce and a city that hosts millions of American
visitors and global tourists each year.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my committee colleague, Congresswoman Eleanor
Holmes Norton, for working with me to write this smart, bipartisan
legislation. I thank the Natural Resource chairman, Mr. Westerman,
Ranking Member Grijalva, and their staff, for working with my staff to
write the improved bill we are considering today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill so
that we can help revitalize our Nation's Capital.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4984, the D.C.
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act.
Just 2 miles from Capitol Hill, the RFK Stadium was a prime sports
and entertainment venue for almost 50 years. Today, the stadium and the
land that surrounds it sits vacant on the shore of the Anacostia River.
This long-awaited bill would permit the District of Columbia to
revitalize the underused Federal lands of the
[[Page H718]]
RFK Stadium, enriching the culture of our Nation's Capital and making
good on our responsibility to be good stewards of the land for future
generations.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to seeing the plans that Mayor Bowser and
the D.C. leaders are developing to make good use of the space and
better meet the needs of the local community.
I acknowledge and thank the tireless advocacy of our colleague,
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, on this issue, and I applaud the
bipartisan collaboration that made this legislation possible.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this timely legislation.
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), chairman of the Committee on Natural
Resources.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4984,
which is bipartisan legislation that I am cosponsoring to allow
development of the RFK Memorial Stadium campus in the heart of
Washington, D.C.
As a former football player at the University of Arkansas, I know the
powerful ways that sports can bring communities and even States
together.
The current RFK Memorial Stadium, located just down the road from the
Capitol, has had a long and complex history but is now decrepit and
falling apart. The legislation before us today will allow D.C. to mark
the end of decades of legal limbo and the start of an age of economic
revitalization.
Under the bill, the National Park Service will no longer have to
maintain and operate the campus, freeing up finite resources to focus
on their deferred maintenance backlog. In turn, D.C. will be able to
revitalize this area and create thousands of jobs with new commercial,
residential, and recreational facilities. This can serve as a model
going forward for other communities, particularly those with large
footprints of Federal land, and represents a win-win for both the
Federal Government and D.C.
I would take a moment to clarify the intent of Congress with respect
to this legislation and the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.
Over the course of several months of bipartisan negotiations that
involved the Natural Resources Committee, the Oversight and
Accountability Committee, as well as the city of D.C., and the National
Park Service, several improvements were made to the bill. During these
negotiations, we reached a bipartisan consensus that after this bill
passes, the National Park Service will conduct a NEPA analysis on the
transfer of administrative jurisdiction itself. After the transfer,
NEPA will no longer apply to D.C.'s development and use of the site
because those activities will not be considered major Federal actions.
This follows decades of precedent with previous administrative
jurisdiction transfers, as well as technical assistance and advice
provided by the Department of the Interior. The National Park Service
also provided several examples of instances in which the agency
transferred administrative jurisdiction of land to D.C., including as
recently as 2022. In none of these instances did NEPA apply after the
transfer of administrative jurisdiction.
Mr. Speaker, the examples below were provided by the National Park
Service (NPS) to the House Committee on Natural Resources during the
consideration of amendments to H.R. 4984 of instances in which NPS
transferred administrative jurisdiction of NPS lands within the
District of Columbia. According to NPS, ``in executing each transfer,
the NPS complied with all applicable laws, including the National
Environmental Policy Act. After transfer of administrative jurisdiction
under this authority, the District of Columbia assumed the management
and legal responsibilities for the properties.''
1. 2010 transfer of approximately 15 acres in the northern
section of Fort Dupont Park
Prior to the transfer, NPS issued a finding of no
significant impact (FONSI), which stated: ``After the
transfer of jurisdiction, the property will be the
responsibility of the District since it will no longer be
managed by NPS and will no longer be a part of Fort Dupont
Park, and District environmental standards will apply.''
2. 2014 transfer of a portion (Reservation 520) of Fort
Lincoln
Prior to the transfer, NPS issued a finding of no
significant impact (FONSI), which stated: ``After the land
transfer, the property would no longer be owned by the NPS
and would be the responsibility of the District.
Consequently, the District's environmental standards would
apply.''
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm? parkID=198&
project ID=44032& documentID=100579
3. 2022 transfer of another portion (Reservation 405) of Fort
Dupont Park
Prior to the transfer, NPS issued a decision form finding
that the transfer was categorically excluded from further
analysis under NEPA.
https://www.ncpc.gov/files/projects/2021/8324_Reservation
_405_-_Portion_of_Fort_Dupont_Park_Transfer_of
_Jurisdiction_NEPA_Document_-_CATEX_Nov2021.pdf
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, because there was a clear consensus and
prior historical evidence demonstrating that NEPA would not apply to
the development of the campus after the administrative jurisdiction
transfer, the legislative text did not include superfluous savings
clauses regarding NEPA's applicability.
In addition to this, it is my hope that both D.C. and the Department
of the Interior will abide by Congress' 6-month timeframe provided in
the legislation to reach all necessary agreements and complete the
transfer.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize the hard work
and collaboration of Chairman Comer, Delegate Holmes Norton, and the
entire staff of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
I would also thank Ranking Member Grijalva and his team, the Energy
and Commerce Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee for their assistance in getting this legislation to the floor
today.
Finally, I would recognize several people without whom this
legislation would not be possible: Beverly Perry, Tara Hupman, Jerry
Couri, and Lisa Pittman. From the House Natural Resources Committee
staff, I thank Aniela Butler, Brandon Miller, Colen Morrow, and Taylor
Wiseman.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation.
{time} 1645
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman
from the District for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4984, the D.C. Robert F.
Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act.
This legislation presents an opportunity to revitalize the RFK
Stadium Campus, a historic site that has served as a cornerstone of our
Nation's Capital sporting legacy for over five decades. However, over
the past two decades, the campus has sadly remained underutilized due
to outdated statutory restrictions.
These restrictions have limited the use of the RFK campus to stadium
purposes only, leading to a gradual decline and erosion. This
legislation focuses on transforming the RFK campus into a mixed-use
site, which will create thousands of jobs.
Additionally, it ensures that District residents gain direct access
to premium recreational opportunities, including green spaces and
scenic walking trails along the riverfront.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
critical legislation.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Maryland.
Mr. IVEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4984, the D.C. Robert F.
Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act.
Like other members of the Maryland delegation, I believe Prince
George's County and Maryland should be able to compete on a level
playing field to keep the Washington Commanders, but this bill would
give an unfair advantage to D.C. It is most certainly not a level
playing field when one interested jurisdiction receives a free transfer
of Federal Government-subsidized land.
I am not opposed to D.C. bidding to be the new home of the Washington
Commanders, but its pursuit of the Commanders should be no different
than its efforts to compete with Virginia for the Wizards and Capitals.
This is also a bad deal for Federal taxpayers. This bill transfers
control over Federal Government property at no apparent cost to the
District of Columbia so that private ownership can
[[Page H719]]
build a football stadium. This is not a District of Columbia home rule
issue. This is no different than any other city or State competing for
a sports franchise or stadium, no different than the State of New
Jersey competing with the State of New York for the Jets or the Giants.
I also do not object to the redevelopment or renovation of the
current RFK campus. I think it would be outstanding to have new
housing, retail use, and park space there. As a matter of fact, I live
near the stadium and drive by it every day, but I do not believe a
cost-free land transfer largely for stadium purposes provides the best
opportunity to achieve these goals.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this bill.
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am
prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
respond to the comments from my friend from Maryland.
The National Park Service has a maintenance backlog of $23 billion,
including $2 billion in the District of Columbia alone. The National
Park Service does not have the money to transform the RFK Stadium site
from acres of asphalt into parks or mixed uses.
There is precedent for Congress giving title to or administration
jurisdiction over Federal land to States and other jurisdictions for no
consideration. We do not have to look far for examples. Let's look at
two of the many examples in D.C.
First, section 8124 of title 40 of the U.S. Code has long permitted
the Federal Government to transfer administrative jurisdiction over
Federal land in D.C. to the D.C. government for no consideration.
Second, in 1986, Congress directed the Department of the Interior to
enter into a 50-year lease with D.C. for the RFK Stadium site for no
consideration.
While it is true that H.R. 4984 does not require D.C. to pay the
Federal Government for administrative jurisdiction over the RFK Stadium
site, it is expected D.C. will spend hundreds of millions of
dollars transforming the site from acres of asphalt into mixed-use
development.
This bill would not require a stadium to be built at the site.
Whether to build a stadium would be a decision for the elected D.C.
government. Several members of the D.C. Council have expressed
opposition to a new football stadium at the site.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
Stadium Campus Revitalization Act will allow D.C. to develop the vacant
RFK Stadium site.
I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill that
will promote economic growth and revitalization for Southeast D.C.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, while Chairman Comer and I often have
plenty to disagree on, today I join him and Delegate Norton to rise in
support of H.R. 4984, the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Campus Revitalization Act.
This bipartisan bill will allow the District of Columbia to
reenergize Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium campus and redevelop the
174 acres of underutilized federal land into a new stadium, additional
housing units, and green spaces.
As a result, these developments will spur economic growth, improve
the surrounding infrastructure, and substantially transform the
neighborhood.
H.R. 4984 represents the fight to protect and expand Home Rule.
As a former local government official having served on the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors for 14 years, including five as chairman
and as a former chairman of the Council of Governments I have
consistently supported autonomy for the District.
Congress must do the same to uphold the will of thousands of
constituents and civil servants who live and work in the District.
Let me remind my colleagues of what my fellow Virginian, James
Madison, said in the Federalist Papers, Number 43, with respect to the
intent of the Congressional authority.
In referring to the residents of this federal District, Madison said
``they will have had their voice in the election of the government
which is to exercise authority over them; as a municipal legislature
for local purposes.''
There is no more basic exercise of municipal authority than planning
critical investments for the community.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4984, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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