WASHINGTON – The House voted Tuesday to end the twice-yearly clock change, putting the country on daylight saving time permanently if the Senate goes along.
States could opt out and choose instead to stay on permanent standard time under the measure, known as the Sunshine Protection Act. Arizona has been on Mountain Standard Time since 1968, which is why it’s the same time in Phoenix and Los Angeles at this time of year.
But the “spring ahead, fall back” ritual would be a thing of the past.
The bill passed overwhelmingly, on a bipartisan 308-117 vote. The Arizona delegation split 5-4 against the bill.
President Donald Trump has long supported an end to the clock change, calling it inconvenient and costly.
“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,” he wrote on Truth Social in May, after a House committee approved the bill 48-1. “It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it! We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day.”
The other option was to set Standard Time as the national norm.
“People would like to have more light later, but some people want to have more light earlier because they don’t want to have to take their kids to school in the dark,” Trump said.
All three Arizona Democrats opposed the bill: Reps. Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari of Phoenix and Adelita Grijalva of Tucson. So did GOP Reps. Paul Gosar of Bullhead City and Andy Biggs of Gilbert.
Rep. David Schweikert of Fountain Hills, who faces Biggs in the July 21 primary for Arizona governor, supported the bill, as did fellow Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Tucson, Eli Crane of Oro Valley and Abe Hamadeh of Scottsdale.
Railroads created the four standard time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific) in 1883 to simplify scheduling.
Congress established daylight saving time in 1918 to conserve fuel during World War I but repealed it a year later. President Franklin Roosevelt imposed it again during World War II.
In 1966, Congress approved the Uniform Time Act, allowing states to opt out of daylight time and go year-round without changing the clock. Congress has tweaked the start and end dates a few times since then.
The current rules date to 2005: DST starts at 2 a.m. local standard time on the second Sunday in March, when clocks are set ahead one hour. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2 a.m.
Arizona, which has plenty of daylight during its hot summers, has stuck with Standard Time year-round since 1968, to save on cooling costs and allow evening activities to start earlier.
The part of the state controlled by the Navajo Nation does, however, observe DST.
Only Hawaii uses standard time statewide.
In 1972, Congress amended the law further, giving states the option to have more than one time zone and to exempt parts of their territory from DST observance.
The country has experimented with universal DST before, including a two-year trial that Congress initiated in response to the Arab oil embargo in 1973.
“It was popular until parents realized their children had to travel to school in darkness, armed with flashlights,” Rep. Madeleine Dean, D- Pennsylvania, said during a brief House debate Tuesday.
Congress ended the experiment early on Feb. 23, 1975, in response to public dissatisfaction.
Arguments in favor of universal DST have historically focused on the promotion of tourism and other economic activity, as well as energy conservation, though a 2007 Energy Department study was inconclusive on that.
Two lawmakers from Florida, which relies heavily on tourism, voiced strong support during Tuesday’s debate.
“In Florida … this issue is especially important,” said GOP Rep. Gus Bilirakis. “Our state is home to families, retirees, small businesses and industries that depend on predictable schedules and the ability to make the most of every single day.”
Democratic Rep. Darren Soto noted that he supported a similar measure in the Florida Legislature in 2013.
“People after work go out to businesses and they get to have fun,” he said. “Beach communities like that one extra hour of sunshine. Kids can go out and play.”
Opposition has traditionally centered on concerns about children in northern states going to school in the dark and impacts on health, including the disruption of circadian rhythms from waking up in darkness.
Although 114 Democrats voted for the bill, some took the opportunity to bash Republicans for focusing on a low-priority issue.
“I actually support this bill,” the senior Democrat on the Rules Committee, Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, said during the debate. “But folks getting crushed by rent, utility bills and healthcare costs? Is this really the best the majority can do?”
Opposition also stems from concerns that not enough time has been spent studying the effects of another experiment with universal DST after the previous one.
“I worry this bill is repeating the mistakes of the past,” Dean said.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
