[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H4445-H4451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT OF 2025
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1423, I call
up the bill (H.R. 139) to make daylight savings time permanent, and for
other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1423, the bill
is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On July 14, 2026, page H4445, in the third column, the following
appeared: Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 139) to make daylight savings time
permanent, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the
bill. The text of the bill is as follows:
The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. BILIRAKIS.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1423, I call up the bill
(H.R. 139) to make daylight savings time permanent, and for other
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read
the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House
Resolution 1423, the bill is considered read. The text of the bill
is as follows:
========================= END NOTE =========================
H.R. 139
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sunshine Protection Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. MAKING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME PERMANENT.
(a) Repeal of Temporary Period for Daylight Savings Time.--
Section 3 of the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a) is
hereby repealed.
(b) Advancement of Standard Time.--
(1) In general.--The second sentence of subsection (a) of
section 1 of the Act of March 19, 1918 (commonly known as the
``Calder Act'') (15 U.S.C. 261), is amended--
(A) by striking ``4 hours'' and inserting ``3 hours'';
(B) by striking ``5 hours'' and inserting ``4 hours'';
(C) by striking ``6 hours'' and inserting ``5 hours'';
(D) by striking ``7 hours'' and inserting ``6 hours'';
(E) by striking ``8 hours'' and inserting ``by 7 hours'';
(F) by striking ``9 hours'' and inserting ``8 hours'';
[[Page H4446]]
(G) by striking ``10 hours;'' and inserting ``9 hours;'';
(H) by striking ``11 hours'' and inserting ``10 hours'';
and
(I) by striking ``10 hours.'' and inserting ``11 hours.''.
(2) State exemption.--Such section is further amended by--
(A) redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(B) inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Standard Time for Certain States and Areas.--The
standard time for a State that has exempted itself from the
provisions of section 3(a) of the Uniform Time Act of 1966
(15 U.S.C. 260a(a)), as in effect on the day before the date
of the enactment of the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025,
pursuant to such section, or an area of a State that has
exempted such area from such provisions pursuant to such
section, shall be, as such State considers appropriate--
``(1) the standard time for such State or area, as the case
may be, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; or
``(2) the standard time for such State or area, as the case
may be, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section as it was
in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the
Sunshine Protection Act of 2025.''.
(3) Conforming amendment.--Such section is further amended,
in the second sentence of subsection (a), by striking
``Except as provided in section 3(a) of the Uniform Time Act
of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 260a),'' and inserting ``Except as
provided in subsection (b),''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member
of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On July 14, 2026, page H4446, in the first column, the following
appeared: The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. BILIRAKIS) and the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. PALLONE) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair
recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro
tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided
and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair
recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
========================= END NOTE =========================
General Leave
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material on H.R. 139.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
{time} 1600
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Sunshine
Protection Act. This important legislation will finally end the
outdated practice of changing our clocks twice a year and establish
permanent daylight saving time.
For decades, Mr. Speaker, Americans have been asking a simple
question: Why are we forcing families, businesses, and communities to
adjust their schedules every spring and fall? The twice-yearly clock
change is a relic of the past that no longer reflects the way Americans
live, work, and conduct business in the 21st century.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), the
lead sponsor and my good friend, for working so hard on this
legislation for quite a few years. It is finally coming to fruition. I
know it is very important that we pass this bill.
In Florida, Mr. Speaker, this issue is especially important. Our
State is home to families, retirees, small businesses, and industries
that depend on predictable schedules and the ability to make the most
of every single day. Floridians have made it clear that they are ready
to ditch the switch.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the President of the United States, Donald J.
Trump, for his strong support of this bill.
Changing the clocks twice a year creates unnecessary disruption. I
know you agree, Mr. Speaker. It affects sleep patterns, impacts family
routines, creates confusion for businesses, and requires everyone--from
parents and students to employers and employees and even our pets--to
adjust their schedules for no meaningful benefit. After years of study
and discussion, it is clear that Americans value consistency and
certainty.
Establishing permanent daylight saving time would provide families
with more usable daylight hours in the evening, giving people
additional opportunities to spend time outdoors, support local
businesses, participate in community activities, and enjoy the quality
of life that makes our communities so special.
Mr. Speaker, I will add this: This is great for our kids. I want, and
I know most parents want, kids to be outdoors now more than ever. The
physical activity means so very much.
For small businesses, particularly those in tourism, hospitality, and
recreation, as I said, additional evening daylight can help drive
economic activity and create more opportunities to serve customers.
In a State like Florida, my home State of Florida, where tourism is a
cornerstone of our economy, having more predictable daylight hours is a
practical improvement that benefits workers, businesses, and visitors
alike.
This legislation is also about listening to the American people. Year
after year, Mr. Speaker, polls show strong support for ending the
outdated clock change. Families do not want another disruption to their
routines. Businesses do not want unnecessary uncertainty. Americans
want a commonsense solution. That is exactly what this bill provides,
and I have spoken to thousands of constituents on this particular bill,
Mr. Speaker, and they agree. They want permanent daylight saving time.
I am proud that this effort has received bipartisan support because
this is not about politics. It is about practicality. Again, the
ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Pallone, I know strongly
supports this bill, and he will have time to say that. It is about
recognizing, Mr. Speaker, that our laws should keep pace with the needs
of the people who we represent.
Today, we have an opportunity to take a meaningful step toward
delivering something Americans have been asking for: consistency,
convenience, and a better way to manage their time.
The American people are long past ready to ditch the switch. I urge
my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical piece of
legislation and sending it over to the Senate, and I know the President
will sign it. I know he is a strong backer, and I appreciate his
support again.
Finally, Congress needs to bring an end to the twice-yearly clock
change.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Sunshine
Protection Act.
This act addresses an issue on which many Americans actually agree,
and that is stopping the biannual process of changing our clocks.
Only 12 percent of Americans prefer to switch their clocks twice a
year. Far more Americans recognize that the practice is inconvenient
and, frankly, disruptive.
Stopping the twice-yearly time change benefits the health and well-
being of all Americans. The time change inevitably disrupts sleep
patterns and is especially disruptive to the sleep of young children
and pets.
Time change also is associated with an increase in the rate of heart
attacks and strokes in the days immediately following the change.
Disturbingly, studies have shown that the increase in stroke rates
after the time change is even higher for some of our most vulnerable
populations. For example, cancer patients' stroke rates increase by 25
percent, and people over the age of 65 are 20 percent more likely to
have a stroke in the days following the time change.
The Sunshine Protection Act would implement permanent daylight saving
time and stop the twice-a-year change that disrupts our sleep and our
health.
Taking this action will increase the sunshine hours in the evening,
allowing many Americans to leave work for more sunlight in the winter
months, not darkness. The increased evening sunlight will also provide
a needed boost to our tourism industry. Extra sunlight means more time
at the beach, more time eating out at restaurants, and more time doing
outdoor leisure activities.
In my district along the Jersey Shore, tourists can enjoy beautiful
coastal areas with serene beaches, embark on fishing ventures along the
Atlantic Coast, enjoy a nice outdoor concert from iconic musicians in
places like Asbury Park, and so much more. Last year alone, New Jersey
welcomed more than 120 million visitors to our State, and they
contributed more than $50 billion to our State's economy.
Our tourism industry needs the boost today more than ever. The Trump
administration's policies, including high visa fees and the detention
and harassment of legal tourists, have discouraged travelers from
visiting our country because they simply do not feel welcome.
Meanwhile, Americans are facing an affordability crisis, forcing
families to
[[Page H4447]]
make difficult tradeoffs, including forgoing summer travel. For
communities like mine that rely on tourism for our local economies, an
extra hour of daylight can make all the difference.
Extra daylight also helps to deter crime. Researchers at the
Brookings Institution found that criminal incidents decreased during an
hour of sunlight added to the evening following the springtime change.
Making that extra sunlight permanent will help keep our communities
safer.
All of these benefits clearly explain why 19 States have already
voted to adopt permanent daylight saving time if Federal law changed
because, right now, it doesn't allow them to do that. These States
recognize the benefits, and it is time that Congress allows them to
reap those benefits.
For States that have already chosen to follow permanent standard time
due to the unique needs of their climate or location--and that includes
Arizona and Hawaii--under this bill, they can continue to do so. Other
States are allowed under the legislation to adopt permanent standard
time prior to the bill's enactment.
Ultimately, the benefits of stopping the biannual changing of the
clocks are numerous and clear. Moving to permanent daylight saving time
will bring much-needed evening sunlight to communities across the
United States.
It is time we finally end the process of springing forward and
falling back. I urge my colleagues to support the Sunshine Protection
Act, and I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack), my good friend and fellow
Florida Gator.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support for H.R. 139, the
Sunshine Protection Act, introduced by my friend and fellow Floridian,
Congressman Vern Buchanan.
This is one of those issues that has been highlighted here today that
brings us together as Americans, regardless of party, no matter where
you are. Everyone always asks the same question every year because we
are all equally annoyed: Why in the heck are we still changing our
clocks?
For decades, we have accepted this ritual of springing forward and
falling back, even though it disrupts routines, throws off our sleep,
and creates unnecessary frustration for families across the country.
I will say, Mr. Speaker, it was always a nuisance, but as a new mom
with an infant child getting the baby on a sleep schedule--and all the
moms and dads of infants know what I am talking about. You get your
schedule going, and then you have to spring forward or fall back, and
then you start cussing the dang time changes.
{time} 1610
This is personal at this point. It is time we stop changing the
clocks and we start using some common sense.
Mr. Speaker, there are lots of Floridians here in the Chamber
supporting this bill because, as Floridians--we are The Sunshine
State--we value sunshine.
It is critical that we do this because we all know very closely and
firsthand that our communities thrive when our families have more
daylight after work and after school. That extra hour means more Little
League games, more evenings at local parks, more dinners at outdoor
patios and restaurants, more customers walking through the doors of all
of our mom-and-pop businesses, and more time for families to simply
enjoy being together.
Again, as a Floridian, it is hot in the middle of the day in the
summer. It gets nice in Florida in the afternoons and evenings. It
would be nice for us to enjoy a little bit more time. I know I am
making this about Florida, but I am just being honest:
#MakeAmericaFlorida.
For a State like Florida that welcomes millions of visitors every
single year, more daylight in the evening means more opportunities.
This legislation does exactly what Americans have been asking Congress
to do not just for years but decades: End outdated practices of
changing our clocks twice a year by making daylight saving time
permanent.
It also respects the choices of States that have already opted out of
daylight saving time under current law. Let's be honest. There are very
few things that everyone agrees on these days, but whether you are a
parent, like me, trying to get your kids to sleep or get your kids out
the door for school, or you are a small business owner, a farmer, a
first responder, or someone who just wants one less thing to worry
about, changing the clocks twice a year is a hassle that most Americans
are ready to leave behind.
We all have heard the studies here in the debate today about the real
benefits to ending these biannual clock changes. The research has
suggested that eliminating the time changes improves public safety. As
the wife of a first responder, I very much appreciate that. It reduces
disruptions to sleep and could even provide energy savings.
This bill doesn't create any new Federal bureaucracies. It doesn't
grow the size of government, and it doesn't impose costly new
regulations. Instead, it simplifies life. It will be one less thing for
the American people to worry about.
Sometimes the best thing in Congress that we can do is remove
unnecessary burdens that no longer serve its purposes. That is exactly
what we are doing here today.
Mr. Speaker, this is a practical, bipartisan solution whose time, pun
intended, has come. Let's stop asking Americans to reset their clocks
every March and November. Let's provide some certainty and consistency
and a little more sunshine at the end of the day.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 139, the
Sunshine Protection Act. I thank my friend and colleague, Congressman
Vern Buchanan, for his efforts in advancing this and making this a real
change that every American can get behind.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Soto), a member of our committee.
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for
yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to start with a little history lesson. Back in
2013, this was my bill. I wrote this bill. I thought it was a pretty
good name, the Sunshine Protection Act, back in the day. It was for
good reason.
I had gotten to the State senate. In the State House, you can only
file a certain number of bills, but once we got to the State senate, I
really got jelling on coming up with ideas that would help our State.
Up until that point, every idea on trying to stop the clock change was
going to standard time.
No one likes standard time. It is darkness in the wintertime, and so
we, as The Sunshine State--a lot of Floridians here--and coastal New
Jerseyans and others here from Louisiana, we like the sunshine. It made
far more sense to keep daylight saving time, which is the 8 months out
of the year that we have light in the afternoons and evenings.
I filed that bill without a press release back in 2013. It became
statewide news. For 4 years straight, every time this bill came up, it
was the most viewed bill in the Florida Senate for 4 years straight.
I will say that I never got a chance to pass that bill out of the
Florida Legislature, although I know some of my colleagues who are here
today ended up doing it after I was gone. It is one of the burdens of
being a Democrat in a Republican-dominated legislature.
Mr. Speaker, here we are many years later, 13 years later, and an
idea that I got to write many years ago now is being led by great
leaders like Vern Buchanan--I am a proud cosponsor of this--and Gus
Bilirakis, a great Floridians whom I enjoy working with, and, of
course, Frank Pallone, our ranking member.
There is a reason this bill was so popular for so long. Small
businesses like it because people, after work, go out to businesses and
get to have fun. Beach communities like it. With that one extra hour of
sunshine, kids can go out and play after school.
We saw that people are sick of the changing of the clocks. Also, the
local farmer doesn't need Big Government to tell them what time to wake
up in the morning. They know what time they
[[Page H4448]]
want to wake up, no matter what, so that change isn't going to affect
them at all.
Then I encourage schools and educational institutions around the
Nation, to adjust school start times based upon what they think is best
to keep kids safe.
At the end of the day, we have talked about how it is good for
business, good for recreation, and good to help out with making sure
that we don't have this public health issue every time we are changing
the clocks back and forth. It is finally time to bring sunshine
across the Nation, and I urge my colleagues to support this amazing
Sunshine Protection Act.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), the original sponsor of the
bill here in the House of Representatives and my good friend. I thank
the gentleman for his persistency all these years, along with the
former Senator Rubio, who is now our Secretary of State. This has
always been a priority for both of them.
Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill,
the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time
permanent and finally end the biannual clock switch.
Twice a year, Americans are forced to change their clocks. These
changes disrupt their schedule for no good reason. The outdated
practice is frustrating for families, workers, schools, and small
businesses across the country.
Let me just tell you, as someone who has been in business for 30
years, this is gigantic, especially for the small business person. That
additional hour a day, at least in Florida but across the country,
makes a big difference in terms of doing business. Ideally, it helps
not just small businesses, but small businesses create most of the jobs
in Florida, as well. It is key to both.
Polling shows that two-thirds of Americans want to unlock the clock.
My bill is simply a solution to make daylight saving time permanent.
Allowing an extra hour of sunlight in the evening gives families more
time for outside sports, activities, and school. It stimulates small
business and, as I said, job creation; retail tourism; and provides
more time for youth sports and outside recreation.
Let me just tell you: You see a lot of kids today. The number is 20
percent of children who are obese. They need to be out more. This will
make a difference for them.
There are also significant health benefits associated with DST that
would prevent over 200,000 cases of stroke per year. It would make a
big difference, as well, for nearly 2 million people in terms of
obesity.
Importantly, this bill allows States to opt out in favor of standard
time if that is important to them. Nineteen States have passed the
deadline for this.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Carter), another member of our committee.
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
139, the Sunshine Protection Act.
Twice a year, Americans lose sleep, disrupt their routines, and pay
the price for a practice that has outlived its original purpose.
H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act, ends that twice-yearly clock
change and makes daylight saving time permanent year round.
Research shows that eliminating the biannual switch reduces the spike
in heart attacks, strokes, and workplace accidents that follow the
spring-forward transition. Ending the clock change also means fewer
disruptions to sleep patterns tied to that adjustment period.
{time} 1620
On the safety side, permanent evening daylight means more daylight
during peak commuting and after-school hours, leading to fewer
pedestrian and traffic fatalities in the evening.
As with many other policies, the impacts are more dramatic for our
less affluent neighbors. Hourly workers, shift workers, and families
relying on public transit are hit hardest by sudden schedule changes
and reduced evening visibility.
More evening daylight reduces the need for artificial lighting and
heating in the early evening hours, which can help lower household
energy use and utility bills.
For Louisiana families, many of whom work in agriculture, fishing,
and outdoor industries tied to the Gulf Coast, permanent daylight
saving time would mean more usable evening daylight for safer work
conditions, recreation, and valuable time with their families.
The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the Sunshine Protection
Act because it would provide consistency and reduce disruptions for
farmers and ranchers. A stable, year-round time system makes it easier
to plan work, transportation, and market schedules. For agriculture,
ending a twice-yearly change means fewer disruptions to the schedule
that livestock and labor already depend on.
H.R. 139 offers a simple, permanent fix: no more clock changes, more
usable evening daylight, and a system that works better for working
families, rural communities, and American agriculture.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube), a fellow Florida Gator.
Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 139,
the Sunshine Protection Act.
For me, this vote has been nearly a decade in the making. In 2018, at
the Braden River Barber Shop shortly after we turned back the clocks to
standard time, everyone was complaining about the change. Kids are not
waking up on time. Everyone is tired. There is a rise in health-related
issues. Nobody is able to enjoy activities in the evening. The list
went on and on.
The question was: Why are we still changing the clocks? As a State
senator in Florida at the time, everyone looked at me and asked if we
could do something about it, so we did.
That one conversation led to me introducing a bill in the Florida
State Senate also called the Sunshine Protection Act. I didn't know
that my friend Mr. Soto had filed it before then, so I was happy to
carry on the tradition.
The idea was pretty simple. Florida is the Sunshine State. We should
not be forced to change our clocks twice a year and lose an hour of
usable daylight in the evening simply because of outdated Federal law.
That legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support in
Tallahassee. In 2018, the Florida Legislature passed the Sunshine
Protection Act, and Governor Rick Scott signed it into law. There was a
catch. Florida could not actually implement the law until Congress
acted.
The bill's success at the State level led to Congressman Vern
Buchanan introducing the Federal version of the Sunshine Protection Act
and introducing it year after year, never relenting in pushing for its
passage. The Senate even passed the legislation unanimously in 2022,
yet the House never gave it a vote.
When I came to Congress in 2019, I continued to fight to make
permanent daylight saving time a reality. Today, Mr. Speaker, after
nearly a decade of many people working on this issue, we finally have
this opportunity.
Americans should never again have to participate in this outdated
ritual of turning the clocks back and forth, as we can end the
disruption that comes every spring and every fall when the Federal
Government tells hundreds of millions of Americans to change their
clocks.
Mr. Speaker, 19 States have already acted to support year-round
daylight saving time once Congress allows them to do so. Florida has
been waiting since 2018.
Why should we make the change? The consensus that day at the
barbershop was clear for Americans. It is unhealthy and difficult on
families with young children. Kids should have more daylight after
school to play sports and be outside. Floridians should have more time
to enjoy our beaches, our parks, and the outdoors. Small businesses,
restaurants, and communities benefit when Americans have more usable
daylight in the evening.
Today, we have an opportunity to finally fix it.
[[Page H4449]]
Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow Floridian, Congressman Vern Buchanan,
for his leadership on H.R. 139 and for his years of work on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to lock the clock. It is time to make
daylight saving time permanent. It is time for Congress to finally pass
the Sunshine Protection Act. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean).
Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone
for this opportunity to talk about the Sunshine Protection Act. I rise
in opposition to the bill and the danger it poses to our health and
safety.
This bill, sadly, is being rushed to the floor as a political
bargaining chip without thorough consideration of the impacts, and we
have been here before.
Permanent time is a national decision with implications for every
aspect of our health and economy. It deserves a robust, thoughtful
debate and an amendment process that allows Members to test each
provision of the bill.
For example, we should be able to test the provision that eliminates
a State's right to opt out of daylight saving time or the decision to
``stop the clock'' on daylight saving time in the first place.
I hear broad agreement in this Chamber and beyond that the twice-
yearly time changes have acute health consequences, but I want to talk
about the chronic long-term impacts of this bill's late winter sunrise.
Early morning light is an important environmental cue to set our
bodies' internal clocks and promote alertness, and dim evening light
tells our bodies that it is time to sleep.
We function best, scientists tell us, on a physical, mental, and
social level when our bodies, the Sun, and the clock on the wall are
all aligned.
Kids perform better at school. Workers are more alert. That is why we
observe standard time in the winter months and why we should at least
consider observing it year-round.
The American Medical Association, American Academy of Sleep Medicine,
National Sleep Foundation, and dozens of other societies tell us that
if we stop the clock, permanent standard time is a healthier choice--
permanent standard time.
That is not the debate before us. We have been here before. In 1974,
children died as a result of a permanent daylight saving time attempt
or trial when they were trying to go to school in the dark for hours.
In 1974, this was revoked.
More than that, we aren't voting on bills right now that would reduce
the sky-high costs of food, fuel, and healthcare or address the
President's war in Iran. Instead, we are considering a bill that was
deadly and dangerous in the past, in the seventies, that we learned
from. I hope we don't have to learn that lesson again.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I want to add that the substance of this bill was heard in the Energy
and Commerce Committee recently and placed into the surface
transportation bill. It does have bipartisan support. Also, if you want
your standard time under this bill, you can keep your standard time.
Mr. Speaker, 19 States, again, have passed legislation for permanent
daylight saving time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Sessions), my good friend.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Bilirakis and the Energy and
Commerce Committee for bringing this bill forward.
My dear friend, the gentleman from Florida, Vern Buchanan, years ago
began this process, understanding that it was more than just an issue
that Congress would deal with. It is also an issue that is called
spring forward, fall back.
You fall back as we get to October, and that means you lose the time,
the light that you had all this time. Spring forward is always seen by
the American people--and if you serve for Roger Williams and the
Republican congressional baseball team--as an opportunity for you to be
able to see for the first time in the light what the day is going to
look like to catch a fly ball.
The bottom line to this whole thing is spring forward, fall back is
something that impacts every single American. It impacts people when
they go to work. It impacts people as they try to find time to play
with their children at night--just a little bit extra time. It helps
people who have retinal or eye issues to be able to see more clearly
for longer from the time they get up until the time they work their way
home, perhaps after work.
It is no wonder that spring forward, fall back is something that the
American people are asking Congress to please standardize and give them
more light and opportunity. Spring forward, fall back is an opportunity
for the American people to have more time in the light of day to not
only live their lives but to accomplish those things, rather than being
in the dark.
{time} 1630
Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that what this does is it makes it
standard across the country, and it does. I think that puts us all with
the same opportunity, and that is what the American people want.
I couldn't exactly say it because I didn't want to say it wrong, but
``spring forward, fall back'' is a commonsense opportunity that every
single person knows and understands because as we now have enjoyed our
spring forward, if we pass this, we do not have to change it to fall
back, to fall back to darkness, to fall back to change.
Lastly, it impacts my staff greatly and anyone on Capitol Hill
because we are very acutely aware that when we get off work, like
hundreds of millions of Americans, they go home in the dark. It means
that people go into parking lots in the dark. It means that people go
and perhaps walk home or drive in the dark at a time when it would be a
safety factor.
There are, of course, those who do not want this. That really does
not bother me. For us to address this with fear rather than knowing
that the American people want this is the issue about what drives me to
be here.
It is big in Texas because we spend a lot of time outside. I want to
reiterate to the American people: We are listening. It is something we
have taken up for a long time. Finally, Vern Buchanan and the Energy
and Commerce Committee have brought this bill to us.
I am very pleased to say I will be an ``aye'' vote. I hope that my
colleagues will be the same.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to address the issue that was mentioned that
in 1974 Congress voted to move to permanent daylight savings time and
then reversed that decision.
I think that 50 years later, things are different. First of all, in
the 1970s, when that was the case, things have changed in the sense
that schools have pushed start times later in many districts, including
in my district and dramatically fewer kids walk to school. Also, remote
and hybrid work has had significant impact on Americans' commuting
patterns. Things are not the same today as they were in the 1970s in
terms of what people did and how they worked and how they went to
school.
Passing this bill now also in the peak summer months gives everyone--
and that is schools, workplaces, transit systems--time to plan for this
change well in advance of the darkest winter months, and I think that
is important also. I am also confident that we are setting ourselves up
to succeed this time around so Americans can reap the benefits of
eliminating the time change.
Again, it is the time change that really is the problem. Most of us,
whether you are for permanent daylight savings time or permanent
standard time, don't want to see the switching back and forth.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and, again, I reserve the
balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), our good chairman of the
Energy and Commerce Committee, who led this through the committee. We
appreciate him so very much.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from Florida
yielding. It is fun today because I have my friend from Florida
controlling time. I
[[Page H4450]]
have another friend from Florida (Mr. Soto) speaking for the bill, and
we have the sponsor from Florida. I will say also to the American
people, Mr. Speaker, through you, that a very famous resident of
Florida mentioned this to me in the Oval Office a few weeks ago, so I
know there is strong support.
It is actually called the Sunshine Protection Act, and the reason is
people like the longer daylight hours. They like daylight even in the
wintertime. I live on the very eastern end of central time. My district
is split almost down the middle. I represent people who are on the very
western end of eastern time, and I live on the very eastern end of
central time. It does get dark at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon
where I live.
People want more time, and they want more daylight. The thing is that
they just don't want to have to change their clocks. As my friend from
New Jersey talked about, in 1974, we did vote to change. It was because
of the energy crisis going on when I was a kid. They changed it in the
middle of winter. It created all kinds of disturbance.
What we have done with this bill is let people know ahead of time,
you are not going to have to change your clock. We have General
Assemblies that can lock in which time they want. We all know that
Arizona and Hawaii stay on standard time. They will stay on standard
time if their General Assembly so chooses. Any other State has the
opportunity, whether they are in session or not.
There is always a provision. I know in Kentucky they are not in
session, but there is a provision that if Kentucky wants to stay on
standard time, the Governor can call them into session and do so. I
don't think they are going to do that. We have given States
flexibility, but we have given our country consistency.
I really appreciate the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) for
working hard on this bill. I believe it is the right time to do it, so
I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection
Act, and I believe it will be good for the American people.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to really stress, again, why
I think that the status quo is bad. I mean, obviously, some people
here--I think a majority--would like to see a permanent daylight
savings time and some who I think are in the minority would like to see
a permanent standard time.
However, the bottom line is we just can't continue the status quo,
Mr. Speaker, because the science and research really is clear. It shows
that springing forward and falling back twice a year is harmful to our
health. It makes Americans less safe, and it is very unpopular.
Studies have shown increases, as I mentioned before, in heart attacks
and strokes, mood and sleep disturbances, and hospital admissions in
the days after a time change. Studies have also shown that increases in
stroke rates with the time change are even higher for some of our most
vulnerable populations, and that includes seniors, for example.
The bottom line is, Americans' safety is put at greater risk in the
days after a time change, and disrupting our sleep has been shown to
lead to higher rates of fatal motor vehicle crashes, crimes like
robbery and workplace injuries.
Whether or not you agree what should be permanent, the bottom line is
that sticking to the status quo and continuing to change our clocks is
really the worst option. I am going to stand with the 56 percent of
Americans in a recent poll who prefer a shift to permanent daylight
savings time to give families more sunlight in the evening hours.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
I just want to read off some of the 19 States that proactively passed
laws to lock the clock: The great State of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado,
Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana,
South Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee,
Washington, and of course, the great State of Florida, so it is not a
Florida conspiracy.
Mr. Speaker, we want to give people an opportunity to go out in the
sunshine, an extra hour a day. I am thinking, first of all, safety for
our seniors, but also for our children. Our children are on these
devices constantly, unfortunately. They should be given an opportunity
to go out, and they should be encouraged to go out and play ball or
whatever they would like to do with their friends.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong, very strong vote in favor of this bill.
I will tell you that it is very, very important that we get this done
as soon as possible.
In closing, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 139, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Williams of Texas). All time for debate
has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1423, the previous question is ordered
on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third
reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on passage of the bill will be followed by 5-minute votes
on:
The motion to recommit on H.R. 1181; and
Passage of H.R. 1181, if ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 308,
nays 117, not voting 6, as follows:
[Roll No. 238]
YEAS--308
Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Alford
Allen
Amodei (NV)
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Barrett
Baumgartner
Bean (FL)
Beatty
Begich
Bell
Bentz
Bera
Bergman
Bice
Biggs (SC)
Bilirakis
Bishop
Boebert
Bost
Boyle (PA)
Brecheen
Bresnahan
Brown
Brownley
Buchanan
Budzinski
Burchett
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carbajal
Carey
Carson
Carter (GA)
Carter (LA)
Carter (TX)
Casten
Castro (TX)
Ciscomani
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Cleaver
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cohen
Cole
Collins
Comer
Conaway
Correa
Costa
Craig
Crane
Crank
Crenshaw
Crockett
Cuellar
Davidson
Davis (IL)
Davis (NC)
De La Cruz
DelBene
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Donalds
Downing
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Elfreth
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Evans (CO)
Evans (PA)
Ezell
Fallon
Fedorchak
Feenstra
Figures
Fine
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flood
Fong
Foster
Foxx
Franklin, Scott
Friedman
Fry
Fulcher
Fuller
Gallagher
Garamendi
Garbarino
Garcia (CA)
Gill (TX)
Gimenez
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Goldman (TX)
Gonzalez, V.
Gooden
Gottheimer
Graves
Gray
Green, Al (TX)
Griffith
Guest
Guthrie
Hamadeh (AZ)
Harder (CA)
Haridopolos
Harris (NC)
Harshbarger
Hern (OK)
Higgins (LA)
Hinson
Houchin
Houlahan
Hudson
Huffman
Huizenga
Hunt
Hurd (CO)
Issa
Jack
Jackson (TX)
Jacobs
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson (TX)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy (NY)
Kennedy (UT)
Khanna
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley (CA)
Kim
Knott
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
Landsman
Langworthy
Latimer
Latta
Lee (FL)
Letlow
Levin
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luna
Luttrell
Lynch
Mackenzie
Magaziner
Malliotakis
Maloy
Mann
Mannion
Massie
Mast
Matsui
McBath
McBride
McCaul
McClain
McClain Delaney
McClintock
McCormick
McDowell
McGovern
McGuire
McIver
Meeks
Mejia
Menefee
Menendez
Messmer
Meuser
Mfume
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller (WV)
Mills
Min
Moolenaar
Moore (AL)
Moore (NC)
Moore (WV)
Moran
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Murphy
Neal
Nehls
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ogles
Olszewski
Onder
Owens
Pallone
Palmer
Panetta
Patronis
Pelosi
Perez
Perry
Peters
Pettersen
Pfluger
Pingree
Pou
Randall
Reschenthaler
Rivas
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rouzer
Ruiz
Rulli
Rutherford
Ryan
Salazar
Sanchez
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schmidt
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Schweikert
[[Page H4451]]
Scott, Austin
Sessions
Sewell
Sherman
Shreve
Simon
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Soto
Spartz
Stansbury
Stauber
Steube
Strickland
Strong
Stutzman
Subramanyam
Suozzi
Taylor
Tenney
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Torres (CA)
Trahan
Tran
Underwood
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Epps
Van Orden
Vargas
Vasquez
Wagner
Walberg
Waters
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Whitesides
Wied
Williams (TX)
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Yakym
NAYS--117
Amo
Ansari
Auchincloss
Balint
Barr
Barragan
Beyer
Biggs (AZ)
Bonamici
Bynum
Casar
Case
Castor (FL)
Chu
Clarke (NY)
Clyburn
Courtney
Crawford
Crow
Davids (KS)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
Deluzio
DeSaulnier
Doggett
Escobar
Espaillat
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Gillen
Gomez
Goodlander
Gosar
Grijalva
Grothman
Hageman
Harrigan
Harris (MD)
Hayes
Hill (AR)
Himes
Horsford
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Ivey
Jackson (IL)
Jayapal
Jeffries
Kamlager-Dove
Kean
Krishnamoorthi
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawler
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Liccardo
Lieu
Lofgren
McClellan
McCollum
McDonald Rivet
McGarvey
Meng
Moore (UT)
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Morrison
Nadler
Neguse
Newhouse
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pappas
Pocan
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Riley (NY)
Ross
Roy
Salinas
Scanlon
Scott (VA)
Self
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Stanton
Stefanik
Steil
Stevens
Sykes
Takano
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (NY)
Turner (OH)
Veasey
Velazquez
Vindman
Walkinshaw
Wasserman Schultz
Watson Coleman
Westerman
Williams (GA)
Womack
Zinke
NOT VOTING--6
Dexter
Fields
James
Leger Fernandez
Mace
Miller-Meeks
{time} 1717
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mses. MOORE of Wisconsin, ANSARI, and Messrs.
TONKO, BARR, GROTHMAN, and LAWLER changed their vote from ``yea'' to
``nay.''
Ms. UNDERWOOD and Mr. VARGAS changed their vote from ``nay'' to
``yea.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________