President Donald Trump on Thursday backed a renewed effort to make daylight saving time permanent after the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act.
In a Truth Social post published Thursday morning, Trump said “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year” because of twice-yearly clock changes and called the current system a “ridiculous, twice yearly production.” He added: “It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock.'”
The proposal would keep daylight saving time in effect year-round. Daylight saving time is the system in which clocks move forward by one hour during spring and summer to create longer evening daylight, before moving back by one hour in fall.
The Sunshine Protection Act would permanently end those twice-yearly clock changes, an issue lawmakers have debated for years. Representative Vern Buchanan has introduced versions of the legislation every Congress since 2018, while a similar bill passed the Senate unanimously in 2022 but stalled in the House. The measure was advanced on Thursday as part of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act.
Long Push
Buchanan said his Sunshine Protection Act would “end the outdated and unpopular practice of changing our clocks twice a year.”
Florida became the first state in 2018 to adopt legislation supporting permanent daylight saving time. According to Buchanan’s office, 19 states have since passed similar measures or resolutions. The House version of the bill currently has 32 bipartisan cosponsors, while companion Senate legislation introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has 18 bipartisan cosponsors.
Health Debate
A 2024 study from Chmura Economics & Analytics estimated daylight saving time costs the U.S. economy roughly $672 million annually. The study said disrupted sleep patterns contribute to heart attacks, strokes, workplace injuries and traffic accidents.
Chmura estimated heart attack-related costs at roughly $375 million and stroke-related costs at about $252 million annually. Xiaobing Shuai, the firm’s vice president of research, said the economic impact was “such a huge impact.”
The debate has also gained support from prominent Trump allies in recent years. In 2024, Elon Musk said Americans wanted to “abolish the annoying time changes,” while Vivek Ramaswamy called the current system “inefficient.”
Opponents of permanent daylight saving time have warned the system could create very late winter sunrises and force children to travel to school in darkness.
The legislation still must pass the full House and Senate before becoming law.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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