Congressional Republicans are pushing to stop the twice-yearly clock changes after Americans adjusted their clocks again for Daylight Saving Time, with Rep. Vern Buchanan and Sen. Rick Scott leading a renewed push for the Sunshine Protection Act while opponents raise concerns about regional effects and Capitol Hill distractions like the ongoing shutdown.
Rep. Vern Buchanan is front and center on this issue, arguing the practice is outdated and unnecessary. “It’s clear that Americans want to do away with changing their clocks twice a year, and my bill will end this outdated practice,” Buchanan said. He and Sen. Rick Scott have reintroduced legislation meant to make this the last time Americans flip their clocks.
Buchanan says he’s been talking with colleagues and staff about moving quickly. “Just recently, I’ve had very promising conversations with House leadership, Energy and Commerce committee members and administration officials about holding hearings and acting on my bill this Congress,” Buchanan said. The pitch is simple: stop wasting time and end the twice-yearly disruption.
Lawmakers on both sides describe the idea as low-hanging fruit that could help families and businesses. Still, congressional attention is split because the government shutdown and other fights are sucking up floor time. Republicans pressing the point say it’s a common-sense fix that deserves action even amid bigger fights.
The 2025 Sunshine Protection Act would lock Daylight Saving Time in as the permanent standard across the country. The bill already has bipartisan cosponsors in both chambers, with supporters arguing the uniform rule would cut confusion and boost productivity. Backers point to growing public support and a ready legislative proposal as reasons to act now.
The push to stop switching clocks isn’t new; the practice dates back to World War I. Americans first adopted Daylight Saving in 1918 to extend daylight hours and conserve fuel during wartime, a pragmatic move that carried patriotic overtones. Today’s debate is less about sacrifice and more about whether the twice-yearly jolt still makes sense.
Rep. Jay Obernolte has been blunt about the downsides of clock changes and lists public-safety and health concerns as key reasons to stop. “Extensive research has shown that the biannual clock change increases traffic accidents, disrupts student performance, and negatively impacts our health. But beyond mending broken sleep cycles, ending these clock changes would address real-world problems that families experience twice a year from lost productivity and disrupted routines,” Obernolte said. His message: fewer clock flips, fewer headaches.
Previous Congresses flirted with a permanent switch but never finished the job. A notable push came in 2017 when senators, led by then-Sen. Marco Rubio, used unanimous consent to advance the idea, but the House never took it up. Opponents and priorities at the time pushed the measure aside.
For some lawmakers, the issue keeps getting delayed because other priorities dominate the calendar. “Congress has a lot of critical work to do with limited time on the floor to get it all done,” Carter said. “This is a priority for many members of Congress and, more importantly, the American people. It’s past time we get this across the finish line.”
Sen. Rick Scott tried to speed the bill through the Senate by seeking unanimous consent, but that effort ran into objections. “With permanent Daylight Saving Time, for three months out of the year, kids in West Arkansas towns like Bentonville, Fayetteville and Fort Smith would start school in the dark. I will always oppose any effort to adopt Daylight Savings Time year-round,” Cotton said
Public polling has shown the public leans toward stopping the clock changes. Findings by Gallup published earlier this year show that a majority of Americans, 54%, support doing away with the time-switching. Forty percent said they supported its continuation and 6% said they were uncertain.
Rep. Barry Moore points out the real hangup: people agree on stopping the practice but disagree on which time to keep. “The challenge hasn’t been whether we should stop changing the clocks. Most people agree we should. It’s been about which time we should make permanent. Some prefer Daylight Saving time, others want standard time. That back-and-forth has slowed progress in Congress. But I think we’re at a point now where everyone is ready for less bureaucracy and more common sense on this issue,” Moore said.
Regional differences complicate the picture too, with some districts showing overwhelming support for a permanent choice. “In a recent survey of Ninth District constituents, more than 90% said they’d like to end the twice-a-year clock changes. Keeping one consistent schedule would improve public safety, strengthen economic stability, and give farmers more daylight to finish their work,” Houchin said. Rural and agricultural areas often favor predictable daylight windows.
Not every Republican prioritizes the change, even if they back it in principle. “It’s an issue that I have a position on, I know how I would vote. But I’m really focused on insurance policy, healthcare reform, anything related to deregulation — those kinds of things,” Burlison said to constituents in comments made to a local radio outlet. For some members, this is a nice-to-have rather than a must-do.
The ongoing government shutdown is another real-world hurdle, crowding the schedule and slowing votes. Legislative traffic around spending and procedural fights has pushed the Sunshine Protection Act down the list, even as backers press the case for action this Congress.
https://x.com/SenTomCotton/status/1983269550042009664
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