Americans may be one step closer to ending the twice-yearly ritual of changing their clocks after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent across most of the country. The measure now moves to the Senate, where similar efforts have stalled in the past.

The legislation, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, cleared the House by a 308-117 vote. If enacted, the country would remain on the current daylight saving schedule year-round—currently observed between March and November—unless individual states chose to opt out before the law takes effect.

As the final vote was announced, Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., who was presiding over the House session, celebrated by playing the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” from his phone while reading the results.

President Donald Trump has strongly backed the proposal, which was introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. In a Truth Social post on May 21, Trump pledged that he was “going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law.”

“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. It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!” Trump wrote.

With House approval secured, the measure now awaits consideration in the Senate.

A similar Senate proposal lost momentum last year after Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., blocked an effort to pass it through unanimous consent in October.

Cotton argued that making daylight saving time permanent could create unintended problems in many parts of the country, noting that sunrise would not occur until 9 a.m. or even later in some areas. He warned that darker mornings could make commutes more hazardous and leave many Americans beginning their workday before daylight.

His office did not immediately indicate whether he intends to oppose an expedited vote on the legislation if it comes before the Senate again.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said voters in his district have long supported ending the clock changes, though he questioned whether the Senate would ultimately move the bill forward.

“I’m kind of digging the fact that we’re going to fix it, I hope,” Burchett said. “See if the Senate takes it up. They probably won’t, but we’ll see.”

Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., also voiced support for the proposal, saying the issue should unite lawmakers from both parties while pointing to financial and health benefits.

“I think it’s popular. It shouldn’t be controversial. It should be bipartisan. It saves money,” McCormick said. Drawing on his experience as an emergency room physician, he added that “you get more depression, you get out of joint” with the time adjustments.

Public frustration with changing the clocks twice each year remains widespread, according to a 2025 AP-NORC survey. While most Americans dislike the current system, opinions remain split over whether the nation should adopt permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time. Congress previously came close to addressing the issue in 2022, when the Senate unanimously approved permanent daylight saving time, but the bill never received a House vote.

The United States has experimented with permanent daylight saving time before. During the 1970s oil crisis, President Richard Nixon signed legislation establishing the system for a two-year trial in an effort to reduce energy consumption. However, widespread dissatisfaction over extremely dark winter mornings led Congress to repeal the law before the full trial period had ended.

State lawmakers have also taken action in recent years. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, nearly every state has considered legislation addressing the twice-yearly clock changes, and 19 states have already passed laws authorizing permanent daylight saving time if Congress grants federal approval.

Daylight saving time was first adopted temporarily during both World War I and World War II before becoming the national standard under the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Under current law, clocks move ahead one hour each March and fall back one hour every November.

Not every part of the United States follows the practice. Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and several other U.S. territories do not observe daylight saving time.

{Matzav.com}