GoKawiilis a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
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The US is getting closer to observing daylight saving time year-round. On Tuesday, the House advanced the Sunshine Protection Act on a 308 to 117 vote, which would turn clocks one hour ahead permanently, as reported by CBS News.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in May that the bill would save the “hundreds of millions of dollars” spent by people, cities, and states that have to change their clocks. “It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock, not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production,” Trump said.
In 2013, the American Enterprise Institute estimated the “opportunity cost” of people taking the time to change their clocks at $2 billion, though FactCheck.org notes that the “lost-time argument” isn’t as relevant with digital clocks making the switch themselves.
While experts have long said that forcing Americans to move their clocks every year is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, traffic accidents, and other issues due to lost sleep, making daylight saving time permanent might not be the solution.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine called for making standard time permanent in 2022, citing sleep experts who say it “aligns best with human circadian biology.” Phyllis Zee, a sleep medicine specialist and chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern Medicine, similarly said that during daylight saving time, “your body is exposed to less morning light and more evening light, which can throw off your circadian rhythm.”
Related Daylight saving time is hot garbage
If daylight saving time becomes permanent, the sun would rise at 8:17AM in New York on January 15th and set at 5:53PM, according to Accuweather. In Seattle, the sun would rise at 8:52AM, followed by a sunset at 5:45PM. Meanwhile, the sun would come up at 8:47AM in Minneapolis and set at 5:57PM.
The Sunshine Protection Act now heads to the Senate, where its future is uncertain, as some Republican lawmakers are skeptical about the change. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) made it clear that he opposed the effort last year, saying the “darkness of permanent savings time would be especially harmful for school children and working Americans.”
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