Along with other members of the House, Rep. Buddy Carter (R) has targeted the growing disorder on America’s streets with the Make Our Streets Safe Again (MOSSA) Act. The bill codifies one of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, prioritizing public safety and reversing soft-on-crime policies.
The MOSSA Act has five key functions. First, it directs the Attorney General to reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit the ability of states and local governments to commit individuals who are a risk to themselves or others.
Second, it requires the Attorney General to work with the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation to prioritize grants for states and municipalities.
The grants would be for enforcing prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, urban squatting, and tracking the location of sex offenders.
Third, the MOSSA Act redirects funding to ensure that individuals camping on the streets and causing public disorder are moved into treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or other facilities. This is specifically targeted towards those who suffer from serious mental illness or addiction.
Fourth, the bill ensures that discretionary grants for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery are not redirected for drug injection sites or illicit drug use.
Finally, the bill prevents sex offenders who receive homelessness assistance from being housed with children. It goes further and allows programs to exclusively house women and children.
Rep. Carter commented on the significance of this bill and the need to reverse the soft-on-crime policies implemented by the Biden administration.
“America’s streets have been overrun by the consequences of the Biden-Harris administration’s weak leadership and soft-on-crime policies,” Rep. Carter stated. “During the final year of the Biden administration, 274,224 people were reported to be living on the streets in the United States on a single night—the highest figure ever recorded. This bill reverses this crisis by prioritizing humane treatment, law enforcement, and accountability. It’s time we take back our streets and make America’s communities safe, clean, and strong again.”
