Senate reopens debate on ending daylight saving time

After years of silence on the issue, U.S. lawmakers on Thursday reopened the debate over whether Americans should stop changing their clocks twice a year.

In its first hearing on the topic since 2021, the Senate Commerce Committee heard testimony about whether the country should stick to standard time or make daylight saving time permanent.

“There’s widespread agreement on locking the clock,” said Committee Chair Senator Ted Cruz, “but where to lock it?” He added he had not yet decided how he would move forward after the hearing.

In 2022, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. But it died in the House of Representatives, which never brought it to a vote.

Some lawmakers, like Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, are urging action. “We need to find a solution and stick with it,” she said.

Supporters of permanent daylight saving time say it would bring more light to winter evenings, help boost economic activity, and even benefit the golf industry. The National Golf Course Owners Association said the change could add 23 million extra rounds of golf each year.

Critics argue it would mean darker mornings, especially for schoolchildren, and disrupt the body’s natural rhythm. Dr. Karin Johnson, a neurology professor, told the committee that standard time is healthier and better aligned with people’s internal clocks.

The clock changes were first introduced nationwide in the 1960s and briefly made permanent during World War II and again in 1973 during an energy crisis — both times later reversed due to public dissatisfaction.

President Donald Trump recently said he saw little chance of change this year, citing lack of agreement. Still, the debate continues, with growing calls to end what many see as a needless twice-a-year disruption.

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