Liberal Alex Sink: Without Immigrants, Who'll Clean Up for Us?

Immigration reform is important, says Alex Sink, the Democratic House candidate in Florida's 13th Congressional District, because otherwise "where are you going to get people to work to clean our hotel rooms or do our landscaping?"

During a heated debate against Republican candidate David Jolly on Tuesday, Sink made her call for immigration reform, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

"We have a lot of employers over on the beaches that rely upon workers, and especially in this high-growth environment, where are you going to get people to work to clean out hotel rooms or do our landscaping?" Sink said in response to a question about the issue.

The debate, sponsored in Clearwater by local chambers of commerce, was not televised live, but video of Sink's statement is already going viral just weeks before the March 11 special election.

Recent polls have Sink running ahead of Jolly by just a few percentage points, and Republicans took to Twitter to slam Sink, who is Florida's former chief financial officer, for making a comment that many termed offensive.

Story continues below video.

"OUTRAGEOUS! Obama Dem cand Alex Sink says we need immigration reform because we need maids & landscapers n FL CD," said Twitter user Jim McLaughlin. 

Story continues below video.

Sink, Jolly and Libertarian candidate Lucas Overby are campaigning to replace the late Republican Rep. Bill Young in next month's special election, and this isn't the first time Sink has got into hot water over her statements during the race, reports Mediaite. 

Earlier this year, she called a Congressional Budget Office report indicating that Obamacare would reduce workers' hours as being an "exciting prospect" because people would have more choice about how they work.

"Over the years, particularly the past five six years when we've been in this horrible economic environment, I've had so many people express to me, 'Boy, Alex, I'd love to start a business or I'd love to change jobs, but I can't because I've got good health insurance at my workplace now. I'm stuck in a dead-end job I'm not very happy in, but I have to stay here,' " she said, The Times reported.


Related stories:

• GOP Ad Attacks Florida Liberal Alex Sink's Bid for Congress
• Ex-Fla. CFO Alex Sink Bows Out of 2014 Gov. Race