The controversial American practice of changing clocks twice a year is up for congressional discussion again. The latest proposal would mean staying on Daylight Saving Time permanently. The measure, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, appears to have sufficient momentum in the halls of power to finally end the twice-a-year clock-changing Kabuki dance. But the question remains: Will they actually pull the trigger on it?
The thorny issue of “springing forward” and “falling back” began in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act and has been a source of irritation for Americans ever since. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has gone on record as skeptical of the practice. “When we ‘spring forward’ for daylight saving time, we disrupt our body’s natural rhythm, damaging our sleep quality, mental health, and overall well-being,” according to sleep medicine physician Dr. Karin Johnson. The AASM suggests the country stay on standard time, not daylight saving time.
Americans are divided on the issue, and President Trump took the unusual stance of not taking sides last year when asked about changing the clocks. He countered with, “It’s very much a 50-50 issue.” But somewhere along the way, the president decided that staying on DST was the way to go. In a March 2025 poll conducted by Gallup, 54% of respondents said “they are ready to do away with the practice. By contrast, 40% of U.S. adults say they are in favor of daylight saving time.”
Earlier this year, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced the Daylight Act of 2026, a novel approach to addressing a government-created problem. The solution, said Steube, lies in the art of compromise. Thus, his idea was to move the clocks forward by 30 minutes once and for all. This too went down with a thud, and once again, nothing was done. As far back as 2022, Steube posted on his X account, “I remain committed to putting an end to this inexplicable biannual practice that makes no sense!” The Sunshine Protection Act didn’t see daylight back in 2022: The Senate passed it, but it died in the House.
Daylight Saving – The Boondoggle That Won’t Go Away
Instead of aligning by political party, legislators have formed geographic coalitions on this issue. Apparently, the east and west coastal states prefer a permanent switch to daylight saving, while those in the country's interior think the dark mornings will be a problem in the winter months. This unusual lineup pits Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) against President Trump, who supports the Sunshine Act. Despite the opposition, one wonders if the president has seen this issue batted around Washington so long that he is happy to side with the Daylight Saving alliance just to get something done on an issue that has had Americans on both sides aggravated for so long.
Despite multiple efforts on both sides of the political aisle, nothing has worked. The reason there is hope this time around is that GOP legislators managed to put the Sunshine Protection Act into “[A] larger legislative package that reauthorizes surface transportation programs,” according to The Washington Post. Such legislative maneuvering is expected to improve the Act's chances of passing, since it’s buried in another piece of congressional business. The House Energy and Commerce Committee was set to vote on the Sunshine Act this week; however, the vote never happened, and it remains stalled – once again. But this is Washington, and the more things change, the more they stay the same. Nevertheless, there is hope that the Sunshine Act will live to fight another day.
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