Stop the clocks, as the Trump administration may be pushing through a new law that might actually benefit people.
Yesterday, the House Rules Committee held a floor vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would allow states to remain in Daylight Saving Time (DST) all year round if they choose to. This has long been a pet project of Donald Trump, was supported by his close allies, and in 2024, he vowed:
“The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.”
Trump’s plans have bipartisan support, and the committee approved the rule by 6-4.
“Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of this policy”
The DST argument has been ongoing for years. Timeanddate.com quotes Dr. David Prerau, expert consultant on DST for the United States Congress and for the British Parliament, as saying:
“When people think about DST, they often think about the negative effect of losing an hour of sleep one day of the year when we set the clocks for summertime. What they don’t think about is that by doing that, we gain 238 days in the spring, summer, and fall with all the benefits of lighter evenings and 118 days in the winter without the very late sunrises.”
They underline that DST encourages outdoor activities, shopping, and recreation after work or school, and that brighter evenings translate into higher consumer spending, economic activity, and a better sense of safety.
Business Insider reports data that losing an hour of sleep during spring transition has been associated with measurable short-term spikes in heart attacks, strokes, workplace injuries, and fatal traffic accidents (up to 6% in the following week, as per their data).
There’s also a case that it’d be better to adopt Permanent Standard Time (PST) rather than DST, with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine arguing that PST better matches human biology.
Morning light helps regulate sleep, mood, and alertness, and they say permanent DST would leave many parts of the country (particularly on western edges of time zones) with dark winter mornings, which could worsen sleep loss, obesity, cardiovascular risks, and even certain cancers over time.
It should also be noted that in 1974, permanent DST was tested across the nation, though, as per The New York Times, while 79% of people initially supported it, only 42% did after its first winter.
But now, finally, this long-running debate will be put to bed. The NY Post reports Chairman Brett Guthrie as saying:
“Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of this policy and want to end the practice of ‘springing forward’ and ‘falling back.’ Locking the clock all year long would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, energy conservation, motor vehicle safety, and our economy. “In practice, this change would mean more time for people to exercise outside, visit family, attend concerts and sporting events, attract customers to their retail businesses, and more.”
The bill will now proceed to a Chamber-wide vote, which pro-DST lawmakers seem confident they’ll win.
Published: Jul 14, 2026 08:49 am