Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Barry Moore (R-AL), Greg Steube (R-FL), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY) have introduced the Make Our Streets Safe Again (MOSSA) Act in Congress. The legislation seeks to address crime and public disorder by codifying an executive order from former President Trump.
The bill instructs the Attorney General to reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that restrict state and local governments’ ability to commit individuals on the streets who are considered a risk to themselves or others. It also requires collaboration between the Attorney General, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Secretary of Transportation to prioritize grants for states and municipalities enforcing prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping, loitering, urban squatting, and tracking sex offenders.
Funding would be redirected so that people camping on streets with serious mental illness or addiction are moved into treatment centers or other facilities. The act ensures discretionary grants for substance use disorder prevention do not fund drug injection sites or illicit drug use.
Additionally, the legislation aims to prevent sex offenders receiving homelessness assistance from being housed with children and allows programs to house women and children exclusively.
“America’s streets have been overrun by the consequences of the Biden-Harris administration’s weak leadership and soft-on-crime policies,” said Rep. Carter. “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.”
Rep. Buddy Carter has held his seat since 2014 after defeating Brian Reese in that year’s general election with 60.9% of votes compared to Reese’s 39.1%. He has continued winning re-election in subsequent cycles: in 2018 against Lisa Ring with 57.8%, in 2020 against Joyce Griggs with 58.35%, in 2022 against Wade Herring with 59.15%, and most recently in 2024 against Patti Hewitt with 62%.
