In July, the House passed a bill with bipartisan support that would instate Daylight Saving Time year-round across the U.S.—the latest step forward in a yearslong effort to eliminate the clock change. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to pass the bill. But the legislation now faces an uncertain future in the upper chamber. Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told POLITICO that there is no “consensus” among his colleagues on whether to advance the measure.
Here’s what the bill would do, why some senators are backing it, and why others aren’t.
The system is widely unpopular. Polling conducted by the Associated Press/NORC last year shows that more Americans oppose the current biannual clock change than those who support it—47% compared to just 12%.
Currently, federal law allows states to forgo Daylight Saving Time and stay in Standard Time throughout the year; Hawaii and most of Arizona have chosen to do so. States aren’t allowed, though, to observe Daylight Saving Time permanently.
The legislation that passed the lower chamber over the summer, called the Sunshine Protection Act, would change that.
Why are some senators supporting permanent Daylight Saving Time?
Senators who have expressed support for making Daylight Saving Time year-round in the past have argued that most Americans dislike the biannual clock changes, calling the practice “antiquated.”
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott is one of the most vocal backers of the Sunshine Protection Act. In a statement last year, when he introduced a version of the bill in the upper chamber, Scott said that he hears from constituents 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.” He added that he believes this is a “common-sense change that will simplify and benefit the lives of American families.”
Read More: The States That Don’t Observe Daylight Saving Time—and the Ones Trying to Stay in It Permanently
“It’s not lost on me that Republicans still refuse to do literally anything to make life more affordable for families or to hold the Trump administration accountable for its daily abuse of power, but if Congress can enact permanent Daylight Saving Time, I will take this opportunity to make it happen,” she said in a statement.
When Scott introduced a version of the bill last year, other senators from both parties also expressed their support for the measure.
Why are some senators against permanent Daylight Saving Time?
While it’s true that permanent Daylight Saving Time would mean later sunsets year-round, what that would look like for Americans depends on where in the country they live.
Because of that discrepancy, some senators have objected to legislation that would establish year-round Daylight Saving Time. The most vocal opponent of the Sunshine Protection Act in the upper chamber has been Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, who has previously said that observing permanent Daylight Saving Time would “again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans.”
“No one likes changing the clock, me included,” Cotton acknowledged in a social media post on Saturday. But he argued that permanent Daylight Saving Time would result in “absurdly late sunrises in the winter.”
Read More: Daylight Saving Time Is Bad For Your Health. This Canadian Province Just Made It Permanent
Sleep experts have opposed the idea of year-round Daylight Saving Time because they argue that Standard Time aligns best with people’s circadian rhythms. Organizations such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have pushed for making Standard Time permanent instead, arguing that it would be better for health and safety.
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