Dem Lambasted for Controversial Comment on Immigration: "We’re Not Going to Have Anyone Around to Wipe Our A--Es"

Vermont’s only U.S. House representative, Becca Balint, found herself under heavy criticism Tuesday after a video emerged in which she told constituents that the United States needs more immigration, warning, “we’re not going to have anyone around to wipe our a--es” unless the federal government allows more people in. The comment sparked immediate backlash, drawing condemnation from state Republican leaders and others who said her remarks were both crude and dismissive of immigrants’ aspirations.

Paul Dame, Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party, issued a statement urging Balint to apologize for what he called both an inappropriate “choice of words” and a “disturbing sentiment.” Dame argued that framing immigration as a solution to a labor shortage for low-skill jobs “reveals a fundamental lack of respect for those who come to this country – abiding by the rules – in pursuit of freedom, opportunity, and a better life.” He also emphasized that Vermont has welcomed immigrants in a wide variety of critical roles, from high-tech manufacturing to health care, pointing out that the state’s hospitals and technology industries depend on such workers.

The controversy comes as immigration remains a divisive issue across the state and nation. Mark Coester, a Republican challenger to Balint and a local business owner, condemned the remarks, linking them to a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Essex Junction, Vermont. “Pack em up, fly em out,” Coester wrote online, criticizing what he sees as a disconnect between lawmakers and working-class Vermonters. Former state Senate candidate Paul Bean also entered the debate, cautioning tradesmen that Balint’s comments implied they were little more than “a--wipers” in her view.

During her speech in Newport near the Canadian border, Balint reiterated the importance of solving what she called an “existential” immigration challenge, referencing her years teaching civics and using the U.S. citizenship test as a classroom exercise. She stressed her belief that Vermont’s agriculture and broader economy would falter without immigrant labor, stating, “We all know our ag system in Vermont would collapse without labor.” Balint noted the ongoing labor shortages affecting many sectors, arguing that the U.S. must create more pathways for legal immigration while upholding worker protections and fair wages.

Amid the uproar, Balint made clear that supporting secure borders does not equate to xenophobia, but she criticized what she described as “lawlessness” from the Trump administration’s ICE and Homeland Security departments. Later Tuesday, she released a statement defending her advocacy for immigrants and decrying what she called immoral detentions and deportations over the past four months. Balint reaffirmed her commitment to making Vermont a welcoming destination for newcomers, declaring, “every worker in every job deserves dignity and fair wages — from doctors and scientists to carpenters and farmworkers.”

The latest controversy arrives as the debate over immigration continues to escalate in Vermont, with lawsuits pending over noncitizen voting rights and increasing partisan tensions over the state’s response to border and workforce challenges. Whether Balint’s unvarnished remarks will affect her standing among Vermont voters remains to be seen, but the exchange has once again exposed the deep divides over how best to address the state’s—and the nation’s—demographic and economic future.