America is one vote away from never changing the clocks again — Europe knows how hard that is
The US House passed the Sunshine Protection Act 308-117, making daylight saving time permanent if the Senate agrees. The EU voted to scrap clock changes in 2019 and still hasn't done it.
The United States just took its most serious step yet towards killing the twice-a-year clock change. The House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act by 308 votes to 117, making daylight saving time permanent nationwide — the time Americans keep from March to November would simply become the time, full stop.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where previous attempts have run aground, though this time with a tailwind: President Trump publicly backs ending the clock switch and is expected to sign the bill if it reaches his desk. States that prefer the status quo can opt out before it takes effect, and the full text is on the official Congress portal.
What would permanent daylight saving time change in the US?
No more springing forward and falling back: extra evening light all year round, which supporters link to more economic activity and less seasonal gloom. Critics point to the flip side — in midwinter, parts of the country wouldn’t see sunrise until after 9am, meaning dark mornings for schools and farmers. In the country that hosts the World Cup final this Sunday, even the hour on the clock is now a matter for Congress.
When will Europe stop changing the clocks?
Excellent question — the European Parliament voted to scrap seasonal clock changes back in 2019, and the decision has been gathering dust at the Council ever since, with governments unable to agree. Portugal, like the rest of the EU, will therefore still wind its clocks back on the last Sunday of October. If Washington actually follows through, Brussels loses one more excuse — and the rest of us keep our extra hour of autumn sleep, for now.
Image: Architect of the Capitol / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
