BY MIRABEL ODETA
A proposal to make daylight saving time permanent across the United States gained new momentum on Thursday after advancing in the U.S. House of Representatives, reviving a long-debated issue that has divided lawmakers, health experts, and the public for years.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted overwhelmingly, 48-1, in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would keep daylight saving time in effect throughout the entire year and eliminate the need for Americans to change their clocks twice annually. The measure is expected to move forward as part of a broader five-year transportation package.
For decades, Americans have adjusted their clocks forward in the spring and backward in the fall, a practice many people say is inconvenient and disruptive. Supporters of the new proposal argue that ending the twice-yearly time change would improve public health, reduce accidents, and boost economic activity by providing more daylight during evening hours.
Backers of the legislation say clock changes can negatively affect sleep patterns and contribute to increased workplace injuries, traffic accidents, and fatigue-related problems. They also believe that longer daylight hours in the evening could encourage outdoor activities, shopping, dining, tourism, and recreational sports during the winter months.
President Donald Trump welcomed the committee’s vote and expressed support for the proposal on social media. He said Americans should no longer have to worry about changing their clocks every year and criticized the process as unnecessary and costly.
“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production,” Trump wrote.
Despite the strong committee support, the bill still faces several hurdles before becoming law. It must first pass a vote in the full House of Representatives before heading to the U.S. Senate for consideration. Some lawmakers remain opposed to the idea, warning that permanent daylight saving time could create problems during winter mornings when the sun would rise much later.
One of the bill’s most notable critics is Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who has argued that year-round daylight saving time would force many children to travel to school in darkness during the winter months. Opponents also say the later sunrise times could affect road safety and daily routines for workers and families.
Under the proposal, individual states would still have the option to opt out of permanent daylight saving time if they choose.
Representative Vern Buchanan of Florida has repeatedly introduced the measure since 2018 and renewed his push for the legislation again this year. The proposal remains especially popular in Florida, where supporters say longer evening daylight would benefit tourism, outdoor recreation, golf courses, sports facilities, and local businesses that rely heavily on evening activity.
The issue has already received significant bipartisan attention in Congress before. In March 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a similar version of the Sunshine Protection Act. However, the House never brought the measure to a final vote, causing the proposal to stall despite widespread public interest.
Democratic Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey also voiced support for the measure, arguing that permanent daylight saving time could improve safety and help strengthen local economies that depend on tourism and entertainment.
“Permanent daylight saving time is better for safety and will boost New Jersey’s tourism industry,” Pallone said. “Let’s stop changing the clocks twice a year.”
Daylight saving time has been used in nearly all parts of the United States since the 1960s. The practice involves setting clocks one hour ahead during the warmer months to extend evening daylight. While many Americans have grown accustomed to the system, frustration over the biannual clock changes has steadily increased in recent years.
The United States previously experimented with permanent daylight saving time during World War Two and again in 1974 during the energy crisis in an effort to reduce electricity use. However, the policy became unpopular due to dark winter mornings and was later repealed.
As debate over the issue continues, lawmakers on both sides acknowledge that Americans are increasingly ready for change — even if there is still disagreement over whether permanent daylight saving time is the best solution.
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