Council of the District of Columbia Chairman Phil Mendelson proposed separating the bill approving the new Washington Commanders stadium from Mayor Muriel Bowser‘s budget legislation, which is expected to face a vote on July 15.

On Friday, Mendelson introduced a stand-alone bill called the Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025 to give Washington, D.C., lawmakers time to review the legislation.

The legislation is “substantively identical” to the proposal in the mayor’s budget, Mendelson said in a statement. However, separating the deal from the budget “enables the Council to hold a public hearing singularly focused on the proposal” and complies with a law requiring the city to complete a tax abatement financial analysis before the council acts.

Mendelson said neither would be possible if the Commander’s legislation stays in the mayor’s budget legislation, considering that it needs to be finalized in a few weeks. However, he confirmed the stadium’s funding would remain in the budget.

“No one should infer from the introduction of this bill that funding in the Mayor’s proposed budget for the Washington Commanders Football Team is in jeopardy,” the chairman noted. “Councilmembers have said they support leaving the funding, as proposed by the Mayor, in the budget. The attached bill would not alter that.”

In April, Bowser and the Commanders announced a $3.7 billion deal that would allow the football team to return to its former home, the abandoned RFK Stadium. The team currently plays in a suburban Maryland stadium. The Commanders want the project to be completed by 2030.

However, the plans may be delayed if the council fails to act quickly.

Mendelson is considering delaying the deal’s approval until the fall, according to a recent report. The proposed agreement includes an estimated billion dollars in public funding.

Bowser is concerned the Commanders may lose interest if the council waits until the fall to approve the deal. The mayor’s office did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.

Earlier this month, opinions were divided in the district’s legislative body. Ward 5 Councilman Zachary Parker supported the council in taking its time to approve the deal and leave the funding in the budget, while Ward 7 Councilman Wendell Felder strongly opposed any delays and the removal of the RFK Stadium redevelopment agreement from the budget.

The Washington Examiner contacted Parker and Felder’s offices for further comment.

DC COUNCIL EXPECTS TO GREENLIGHT RFK STADIUM DEAL, BUT NOT ON BOWSER’S TIMELINE

Mendelson said councilmembers are merely practicing due diligence with the stand-alone bill. Despite his previous opposition, he remains committed to finishing the project in the next five years.

“The Commanders want to open their stadium in five years,” he said. “We want to see that, too, and will work within the Commander’s 2030 timetable.”