A Florida Democratic Congressman slammed the Supreme Court’s decision on criminalizing homelessness in Grants Pass v. Johnson.
Orlando Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Democrat, issued a statement following the Supreme Court’s ruling, which held that local government ordinances with civil and criminal penalties for camping on public land do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment of homeless people.
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass is a clear and direct attack on Americans’ 8th Amendment rights protecting us from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment,” Congressman Maxwell Frost said. “How can this Court believe that folks who do not even have enough money to feed themselves or keep a roof over their heads will be able to pay fines for sleeping outside?”
It was a 6-3 decision from the Supreme Court in the homelessness case.
“This is an attack on the poor and a direct and immediate failure of leaders in our federal, state, and local governments who have refused to act in support of housing affordability and have instead perpetuated policies that widen the income gap and keep working people down,” Rep. Frost added. “Millions of Americans are one missed paycheck away from becoming houseless – that’s not their failure – it is the failure of our government and society for turning our backs on our people when they needed it most.”
