Rep. Balint Faces Criticism for Vulgar Migrant Labor Remarks

Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont faced widespread criticism after using a vulgar expression to emphasize the importance of legal immigration during a May 28 town hall in Newport. She stated that without legal immigrants, "we're not going to have anybody around to wipe our asses," highlighting the reliance of Vermont's economy on migrant labor. Balint later apologized for her "sloppy and insensitive" language but reaffirmed her support for immigrants and their dignity, emphasizing the necessity of protecting immigrant workers and advocating for fair wages. The Vermont Republican Party and other critics condemned her remarks as dehumanizing and offensive, accusing her of reducing immigrants to menial labor roles and calling for an apology. Conservative voices and opinion pieces echoed this sentiment, viewing her comments as perpetuating harmful stereotypes about immigrants. Despite the backlash, Balint maintained that her intent was to stress immigrants' vital economic contributions, particularly in agriculture and other sectors critical to Vermont.