End of daylight saving time? Measure moves forward with Senate hearing

The movement to end daylight saving time — and the twice-yearly changing of clocks — sprung forward with a Thursday, April 10, U.S. Senate committee hearing.

"When we take a closer look at the implications of changing the clocks, it's impact on our economy, our health, and our everyday lives, we can see that this practice is more than an annoyance," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the committee chairman, said.

With regard to energy savings, the most common justification for daylight saving time, Cruz said: "This concept (fewer hours of darkness means less electricity consumption for lighting and heating) might have made sense in the early 20th century when our economy and our homes relied much more heavily on energy consumption tied to daylight hours.

"Today, the data show energy savings from daylight savings (sic) time are de minimis, if not entirely non-existent."

Cruz went on to say advances in technology and increased domestic energy production have reduced the price of energy.

The bi-annual changing of clocks also impacts people's health negatively, Cruz added. He said many countries, such as Mexico, Russia, and Turkey, as well as the states of Hawaii and Arizona, have taken steps to move away from changing clocks twice a year, he said.

"Congress has the authority to end this outdated and harmful practice," Cruz concluded. "Whether we lock the clock on standard time year round or on daylight savings time, let's think carefully about our health, our economy and wellbeing and embrace a sensible approach to time management."

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) also spoke, saying "In our increasingly connected world, it's more important than ever that we're thoughtful about what it would mean to pick a permanent time for our country."

The bipartisan committee featured testimony from: Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association; Dr. Karin Johnson, professor of neurology at UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate, a specialist in sleep medicine; and David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

How did the push to end daylight saving time start?

On Jan. 8, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) reintroduced the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act to end daylight saving time.

“I hear from Americans constantly that they are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year — it’s an unnecessary, decades-old practice that’s more of an annoyance to families than benefit to them,” Scott said in a statement, adding that it would be a "common-sense change that will simplify and benefit the lives of American families." 

The Sunshine Protection Act was unanimously approved by the Senate in 2022, but was not approved in the House.

What does Trump have to say about daylight saving time?

The president has long been in favor of it. On Friday, April 11, Trump posted on Truth Social, "The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!"

Why do we have daylight saving time, anyway?

Daylight saving time became a national standard in 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act, which was established as a way to conserve energy. As Cruz noted, the thinking was that if it's light out longer, that's less time you'll need to use lights in your house.

In 2005, Congress amended the act to expand daylight saving time to the period in effect today, starting on the second Sunday in March and ending on the first Sunday in November. This move was also for energy saving purposes.

Has permanent daylight saving time been tried before?

Yes. President Richard Nixon signed a bill that went into effect in January 1974 making daylight saving time permanent for two years. The public was initially in favor of it, buoyed by not having to change clocks twice a year. But sunrises as late as 9:30 a.m. quickly dissuaded the public, and standard time was reintroduced in October 1974.