The proposed Sunshine Protection Act, which aims to make daylight saving time permanent, has faced criticism from lawmakers citing potential health and safety risks. Permanent daylight saving time could leave more Americans in darkness during morning hours, particularly children, according to opponents.
Lawmakers point to the nation's brief experiment with year-round daylight saving time in 1974, which resulted in a widespread public backlash and was ultimately abandoned. Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., was the lone member of the Energy and Commerce Committee to oppose the legislation, citing concerns about the negative impact on children's health and sleep schedules.
Some conservative lawmakers argue that GOP leadership should focus on more pressing issues, including legislation codifying Trump's border security executive orders and the stalled SAVE America Act. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, described the focus on daylight saving time as "fiddling with the clocks while the country burns."
The House has already passed versions of the SAVE America Act, but it has struggled to overcome the Senate's legislative filibuster. The Senate unanimously passed a version of the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, but it died in the House amid opposition from lawmakers who voiced concerns about darker morning hours in parts of the country during the winter.
