Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are planning to advance legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States. Matthew VanHyfte, a spokesperson for the committee's Republicans, told The Hill that the panel plans to notice a full markup of a bill that includes language from the Sunshine Protection Act, which would keep the country on daylight saving time year-round. The committee is looking to add the legislation to a larger transportation funding package.
The effort has support from President Trump, who has routinely called for Congress to pass legislation on daylight saving time. Last year, he wrote in a Truth Social post that "The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!" Previous attempts to pass similar legislation have stalled on Capitol Hill.
What the Left Is Saying
Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for ending seasonal clock changes, citing public frustration with the twice-yearly transitions. However, other Democrats and some health advocates have raised concerns about permanent daylight saving time specifically. Some argue that standard time better aligns with human circadian rhythms and would result in safer conditions for children walking to school during darker winter mornings. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has previously stated that standard time is more aligned with human biology. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) has previously supported legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, calling it a quality-of-life issue that enjoys broad public support.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have framed the effort as an economic and practical initiative. VanHyfte told The Washington Post that addressing daylight saving time "has been a priority for a number of members for a while now." He cited testimony from a November hearing indicating that an extra hour of sun at the end of the day boosts economic activity, along with evidence that changing time is a highway safety concern, with a surge of traffic fatalities occurring the week following time changes. The committee led legislation extending daylight saving time in 2007 and is examining ways to further address it now.
What the Numbers Show
The Senate attempted to fast-track the Sunshine Protection Act last year, but Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) blocked the effort. He said at the time that "Sometimes we have to live with an uneasy compromise between competing priorities and interests. That's doubly true when considering how the movement of the stars and the planets affect the lives of 350 million souls spread across our vast continental nation." Research published in the Journal of Public Economics found a 6% increase in fatal traffic accidents during the week following spring time changes. A study in the Journal of Experimental Criminology showed crime decreases when an extra hour of daylight shifts to evening hours. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has introduced separate legislation, the Daylight Act of 2026, which would move clocks forward by only half an hour rather than a full hour.
The Bottom Line
If enacted, permanent daylight saving time would mean later sunsets year-round and darker winter mornings. Supporters argue it would boost economic activity and eliminate the disruption of twice-yearly clock changes. Critics contend that standard time better serves public health and child safety. The legislation's path forward remains uncertain given historical obstacles in Congress, though adding it to a broader transportation package could provide political momentum for passage.