Reply Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, said he opposes unilateral action by Congress to make Washington, D.C. the nation's 51st state. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON, DC — A long-shot bid to pass legislation that would make the District of Columbia the nation's 51st state got a little longer on Friday. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he opposes unilateral action by Congress to make the nation's capital a state and that he believes it needs to be done through a constitutional amendment. He said prior Republican and Democratic administrations thought the same thing.