Should we make daylight saving time permanent? Tell us here. | Opinion
Are you tired of 'springing forward' and 'falling back'? Well Congress has a bill for you. Do you support the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent? Scroll down to tell us.
Janessa HilliardGet ready for an 8 a.m. sunrise. If some members of Congress have their way, it will be daylight saving time all the time.
The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14 with a 308-117 vote. President Donald Trump has signaled his support for the bill, which now faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, has been pushing this since 2018, when then-Sen. Marco Rubio was the bill’s sponsor in the Senate. Now another Florida Republican, Sen. Rick Scott, has taken up that mantle.
What happens if daylight saving time is permanent? Should we stick to standard time? Tell us below.
Buchanan likes to argue the extra evening sunshine that comes with daylight saving time is better for sports and families. That may be, but spending the majority of your morning in darkness doesn’t just sound worse – it’s dangerous.
When your external clock doesn’t match your internal one – also known as your circadian rhythm – a whole host of health problems can arise ‒ including hormonal and metabolism issues, heart attacks, vehicular accidents and mental health issues.
We’ve tried this before, by the way. Year-round daylight saving time was enacted during World War I and World War II, and again in 1974 as an experiment that proved so unpopular Congress canceled it the same year.
Oops.
What do you think? Should we say “so long” to springing forward and falling back and #DitchTheSwitch? Is standard time the superior way forward? Or should Congress be putting this energy into tackling affordable health care, childcare and other policies that impact American families?
Scroll down to submit your answers, or send us an email at [email protected] using the subject line “Forum Daylight Saving Time.” You can also leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923. We’ll publish a collection of your responses, so we may reach out to you about yours.
Janessa Hilliard is the director of audience for USA TODAY Opinion and Opinion at USA TODAY Co.