The U.S. House appears in no hurry to pass a permanent change to daylight saving time a week after the Senate unanimously approved the measure, according to a report in The Hill. Passage would end the twice-yearly practice of moving the clocks one hour.
The Sunshine Protection Act from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., calls for daylight saving time to be permanent starting in November 2023. It must still pass the House and get President Joe Biden's signature.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., is reportedly pushing for a companion House bill to pass soon, citing comments of openness by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
But other House leaders are pumping the brakes, citing the need for more consideration.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told The Hill that her constituents in Seattle are concerned a permanent move to daylight saving time will mean some winter mornings there will be dark until nearly 9 a.m. Jayapal, however, said she is supportive of ending the clock change.
Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., Chair of the House Budget Committee, reportedly said he doubts the bill will get through the House quickly.
Some House members also cited their focus on the war in Ukraine as a reason they aren't in a hurry to take up the bill, The Hill reported.
While multiple polls have shown agreement to end the back-and-forth switch between standard and daylight saving time, there is no consensus on which one to go with.
Those supporting a permanent daylight saving time cite studies indicating a lower crime rate and more afterschool and post-work daylight for families to enjoy. Those who prefer standard time say earlier daylight is better for humans' natural sleep patterns and because it means children will not be walking to school in the dark as drivers are still trying to wake up.
The American Jewish community also plans to fight the change to permanent daylight saving time, the Religious News Service reports. They say the change will make it nearly impossible for Jews to participate in communal morning prayer and still get to work or school on time in the winter. By Jewish law, morning prayers must happen after sunrise.
The U.S. has attempted year-round daylight saving twice before. The first was from 1942 to 1945 in response to WWII in an effort to conserve fuel. It was done again as a “trial” in 1974, although it reimplemented standard time before the year’s end due a negative response from the public.