President Trump wants the Senate to take up a House-approved bill to make daylight saving time permanent and end the semi-annual clock changing ritual.
“More sun later in the day is better (including for fighting crime!),” the president posted on Truth Social this weekend. “But, even more importantly, NO MORE RIDICULOUSLY CHANGING CLOCKS AND WATCHES TWICE YEARLY, with all of the disruption and chaos it causes. FINALLY, GET IT DONE!!!”
Mr. Trump said the Senate should vote “as soon as possible” to make daylight saving time permanent. The chamber is out of Washington for its summer recess and not scheduled to return until Sept. 14.
The House passed the permanent daylight saving time bill in July on a 308-117 vote.
A Senate version of the bill, led by Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Republican, has 18 co-sponsors.
“Floridians love sunshine!” Mr. Scott posted Sunday on social media. “It’s time for Congress to pass my Sunshine Protection Act so we can choose to enjoy every ounce of daylight the Sunshine State has to offer.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, opposes the bill because it would lead to late winter sunrises in his state. Other senators have made similar arguments against making daylight saving time permanent.
Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, has repeatedly blocked Mr. Scott’s attempts to pass his bill by unanimous consent, arguing it would deprive Americans of morning sunshine that is essential for safety and well being.
“The darkness of permanent Daylight Savings Time would be especially harmful for schoolchildren and working Americans,” Mr. Cotton said in one floor speech on the topic.
Congress enacted a bill during the Nixon administration to conduct a two-year trial of permanent daylight saving time, but the 1974 experiment was cut short amid public backlash.
“As we saw in 1974, kids would either walk to school in the pitch black or schools would have to push back start times. The choice would be between danger on the one hand, and disruption on the other,” Mr. Cotton said. “Meanwhile, construction workers, farmers, and others who rise before the sun or need the sun to work would be penalized.”
Many doctors argue that if Congress wants to eliminate the biannual changing of the clocks, permanently sticking to standard time would align more naturally with circadian rhythm, the body’s 24-hour clock.
Dr. Robert Lahita, director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases at St. Joseph’s Health, said Sunday in a Fox News interview that it is healthier for Americans to have earlier sunrises.
Prolonged periods of darkness led to increases in depression, fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, he said.
“Plus, there’s a 6% increase in car accidents with commuters driving in the dark rather than in the early morning light,” Dr. Lahita said. “So that is a big issue.”
