Senate votes to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, and sunny days are here again

Sunshine Protection Act gets bipartisan votes, now goes to House

The U.S. Senate just voted unanimously (yep, they all agreed!) to keep our watches set on the sunny Daylight Saving Time.

Craig Caplan @CraigCaplan

The bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ed Markey (D-MA) now heads to the House following Senate unanimous passage today: "This is an idea whose time has come."

The bill called “Protect Sunshine Act” is probably the most popular measure that will be taken in Washington this year.

The bill — uploaded in sources below— was co-sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and others.

Photo by Ales Krivec on Unsplash

It will now go to the House for a vote. As I tweeted below, I think anyone in the house who votes against the bill should be immediately expelled. Maybe he/she should be charged with treason. Losing on election day is not bad enough punishment for keeping us from an hour of sunshine.

Emily Miller @emilymiller

If anyone in the House votes against this, he or she should be expelled. Don’t even wait for Election Day. #SunshineProtectionAct #DaylightSavingTime https://t.co/SONkdz0BeW

Sheldon Whitehouse @SenWhitehouse

The Sunshine Protection Act just passed the US Senate with unanimous consent. This is a big, sensible step forward. Long live Daylight Saving Time!

If the House goes along with the Senate on this common-sense plan, Pres. Biden will get the final word. If he was smart, he would sign it before Election Day. It’s the one thing we can all get behind— more sunshine.

Emily Miller @emilymiller

One of the many reasons I hate daylight saving time is I have to dig out my car manual to figure out how to change the clock.

After two years of pandemic anxiety, lockdowns, masks, and misery, we need a boost with more light.

Emily Miller @emilymiller

🙌🏻 “In a world without daylight saving time.... we could maintain our sleep schedules, feeling healthier and happier as a result. We could end a senseless practice that has many drawbacks and very few, if any, positive aspects.” @RepLyleLarson #txleg

KVUE News @KVUE

#Texas representative wants to end Daylight Saving Time https://t.co/8gsFb9ehPU

Every six months, we all complain about Daylight Saving Time. In the spring, we wreck our internal clocks and have to reset our analog clocks. In the fall, we have to dread a winter of dark and doom.

Emily Miller @emilymiller

Back November and now June, I still oppose Daylight Saving Time. Now, sunset is 8:40pm and not dark until after 9pm. Sunset at 7:40pm in summer is more reasonable. #EndDST

Emily Miller @emilymiller

🙌🏻 “In a world without daylight saving time.... we could maintain our sleep schedules, feeling healthier and happier as a result. We could end a senseless practice that has many drawbacks and very few, if any, positive aspects.” @RepLyleLarson #txleg https://t.co/kM3Ugkx72r

I love the sun and spend time outside every day - mostly running— but if not then a walk without sunglasses, so I can get my vitamin D.

Keeping to the better time makes sense for efficiency, physical health and mental health.

Emily Miller @emilymiller

Agree! MT @TdgAi: Daylight Saving makes crazy drivers for a week each time change. We need to stay on one or the other. I prefer DST.

I know I wrote a story about this a long time ago and interviewed then-Congressman Ben Quayle from Arizona (the former VP’s son.) I can’t find my story online, but here’s a tweet about it in 2011.

Emily Miller @emilymiller

Who knew that Arizona is the only U.S. state that doesn't abide by Daylight Saving Time? Rep. @benquayle of AZ told me it's their right.

I’ve had a lot of opinions on Daylight Saving over the years— as you can see from my tweets in this story. Look at this tweet from 2012:

Emily Miller @emilymiller

Daylight Saving Time always makes me hungry and tired for a week. How can one hour have such a big effect?

Even Steve Case agreed with me back in 2010:

Steve Case @SteveCase

:) RT @EmilyMillerDC: Up since 6am/5am worried I'd oversleep for Spring forward Daylight Savings Time.

The only downside to this DST victory in DC is that I might not be able to grammar police people every six months for wrongly calling this concept “Daylight SavingS Time. (It’s not plural!)

I made this meme — below— and put it on social media twice a year. Feel free to screen cap or download and share it because very soon — hopefully — this will just say “TIME.”