Lawmakers say it’s ‘past time’ to ditch Daylight Saving ritual for good

Americans just turned their clocks back to daylight saving time — and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., says it’s time to make it the last time.

“It is clear that Americans want to do away with changing their clocks twice a year, and my bill would end this outdated practice,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., have reintroduced legislation that would stop the clocks from being set forever.

“I recently had very promising conversations with House leadership, members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and administration officials about holding hearings and acting on the bill I introduced in this Congress,” Buchanan said.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., attends the House Ways and Means Committee’s Reconciliation Guidance Ceremony for the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Concurrent Resolution at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, May 13, 2025. (Bill Clark/Getty Images)

This year, as voters across the country adjusted their clocks on Sunday, Congress remained deadlocked for 35 days. close That captured the focus on Capitol Hill. But that didn’t stop many lawmakers from calling the change a no-brainer.

The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 would make daylight saving time the nation’s new standard time. The bill has 18 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate and 29 cosponsors in the House.

The country first adopted daylight saving time in 1918 during World War I in order to extend the workday, allowing workers to make greater use of the sun rather than burning fuel to light their progress at night. At the time, the idea carried a sense of patriotism, a small way Americans could shore up resources and contribute to the war effort.

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Rep. Jay Obernault, R-Calif., thinks today’s time shift is more headache than it’s worth.

“Extensive research has shown that changing the clock twice a year increases traffic accidents, disrupts student performance, and negatively impacts our health. But in addition to fixing disrupted sleep cycles, ending these clock changes would address the real-world problems that twice-yearly families face due to lost productivity and disrupted routines,” Obernault said.

A farmer and a soldier enjoying the benefits of a “longer day” provided by daylight saving time, circa 1917, produced by the United Cigar Stores Company. (David Pollack/Getty Images)

It’s not the first time Congress I have considered such a law.

Congress last seemed willing to change daylight saving time rules in 2017 when it was led by then-Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, used the chamber’s unanimous consent to push the sun protection bill. The House, under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., never took up the bill.

In response to a question about why previous efforts failed, Representative Buddy Carter, Republican of Georgia, said that the matter came down to focusing on other areas.

“Congress has a lot of critical work to do, with the limited time available to do it all,” Carter said. “This is a priority for many members of Congress and, more importantly, for the American people. It is time to get to the finish line.”

Scott tried to use the same unanimous consent approach last week to speed the bill through the Senate — even in the middle of a government shutdown. These efforts failed when Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, objected.

“With permanent daylight saving time, for three months of the year, children in western Arkansas cities like Bentonville, Fayetteville and Fort Smith will start school in the dark. I will always oppose any effort to adopt year-round daylight saving time,” Cotton said. In a letter to X.

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Gallup findings Published earlier this year It shows that a majority of Americans, 54%, support getting rid of the time switch system. 40% said they support its continuation, and 6% said they were not sure.

Rep. Barry Moore, R-Alabama, another supporter of the Sun Protection Act, believes most Americans agree with the idea in principle but find themselves confused about whether they would prefer to keep standard time or move the day by one hour permanently.

“The challenge wasn’t whether we should stop changing clocks. Most people agree we should. It was what time we should make permanent. Some prefer daylight saving time, others want standard time. This back and forth has slowed progress in Congress. But I think we’ve now reached a point where everyone is ready for less bureaucracy and more common sense on this issue,” Moore said.

Buchanan and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., have reintroduced legislation that would stop the clock-setting ritual forever. (Chris Delmas/Getty Images)

This support may also change depending on the region.

Rep. Erin Houchin, Republican of Indiana, said her district, a rural area with a heavy agricultural makeup, overwhelmingly supports the idea.

“In a recent poll of 9th District voters, more than 90% said they wanted to end the twice-yearly clock change. Maintaining one consistent schedule would improve public safety, promote economic stability, and give farmers more daylight to finish their work,” Houchin said.

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Other Republicans say that while they would support the idea, it is not one of their top priorities. That’s the view of Rep. Eric Burleson, Republican of Missouri.

“It’s an issue that I have a position on, and I know how I’m going to vote. But I’m really focused on insurance policy, health care reform, anything related to deregulation — those kinds of things,” Burleson told voters in comments to a local radio outlet.

Consideration of the daylight saving time bill, like every other priority on Congress’ table, is being held up by an ongoing government shutdown that has stalled legislative considerations for more than a month.

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