Call Republican opposition to D.C. statehood what it is: Racist The GOPâs arguments against D.C. statehood hinge on a paternalistic and colonial idea that Black people cannot be trusted to govern themselves. By Abdallah Fayyad Globe Staff,Updated May 3, 2021, 12:51 p.m. Email to a Friend adobe stock; globe staff photo illustration For two years in a row, and for only the second time in history, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state. And though the bill is effectively dead on arrival â the Senate filibuster would require at least 10 Republican senators to join Democrats in sending the bill to a floor vote â the fight for D.C. statehood has never been stronger.