The U.S. Congress is currently grappling with the decision of whether to make daylight saving time permanent. A bill known as the Sunshine Protection Act, which aims to make daylight saving time the standard year-round, passed the Senate but was rejected in the House. Introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Vern Buchanan, the bill has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support. The history of daylight saving time in the U.S. dates back to World War I, when it was first instituted by President Woodrow Wilson. However, it has faced opposition and has been repealed and reinstated multiple times since then.
During World War I and World War II, daylight saving time was implemented to save energy and cut demand during a national energy crisis. However, it faced resistance and was ultimately repealed after the wars. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which made daylight saving time the standard. President Nixon later signed an emergency bill to make daylight saving time year-round, but concerns about children’s safety in the dark winter mornings led to its reversal. In October 1974, President Ford signed a bill bringing the U.S. back to standard time for four months of the year.
Currently, both the House and Senate versions of the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 have not made significant progress. The Senate bill has been reviewed twice and referred to a committee, while the House bill has only been referred to a subcommittee. The fate of permanent daylight saving time in the U.S. hangs in the balance, as Congress continues to debate its implementation.