The Senate passed a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent across the U.S.
Why it matters: If the legislation clears the House and is signed into law by President Biden, it will mean Americans will no longer have to change their clocks twice a year.
Details: The bill — the Sunshine Protection Act co-sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — was passed by unanimous consent.
- It would make daylight saving time permanent in 2023.
The big picture: Health groups have called for an end to the seasonal shifting of clocks, a ritual first adopted in the U.S. more than a century ago.
- At a house hearing last week, health experts cited sleep deprivation and health problems as negative effects associated with changing clocks.
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans want to stop changing their clocks, according to a 2021 Economist/YouGov poll.
What they're saying: "No more dark afternoons in the winter. No more losing an hour of sleep every spring. We want more sunshine during our most productive waking hours," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said on the Senate floor after the passage of the bill.
But, but, but: In the 1970s — the last time Congress made daylight saving time permanent — the decision was reversed in less than a year after the early morning darkness proved dangerous for school children and public sentiment changed.
What's next: Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) will lead a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for immediate House passage of his bill, Axios has learned.
