Rubio Urges House to Abolish Daylight Saving Time

This month marks a long-contested seasonal adjustment that has divided Americans and lawmakers alike. As people turn their clocks forward an hour this month, Florida Republicans are calling for the Senate to act on a bill that has already been decided. With the Senate having already supported the measure, Senator Marco Rubio (R) is urging the Senate to abolish daylight saving time.

Following the Florida Legislature’s 2018 enactment of year-round daylight saving time, Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) introduced a measure to end the adjustment. The lawmaker recently introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which makes daylight saving time permanent along with the twice-a-year clock change every March and November.

In a statement, Rep. Buchanan argued that “there are enormous health and economic benefits to making daylight saving time permanent,” adding that “Florida lawmakers have already voted to make daylight saving time permanent in my home state and Congress should pass the Sunshine Protection Act to move Florida and the rest of the country to year-round daylight saving time.”

Buchanan further expressed that “changing our clocks twice a year is inconvenient and entirely unnecessary,” urging lawmakers that “it’s time to end this antiquated practice.”

Senator Rubio, who filed companion legislation in the Senate, praised the effort, saying that "this ritual of changing time twice a year is stupid. Locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support."

The lawmakers cite studies showing that making daylight saving time permanent would benefit the economy and the country.

When Buchanan introduced the measure in the House, he was joined by 13 cosponsors, including Florida Reps. Bill Posey (R), Cory Mills (R), Brian Mast (R), Anna Paulina Luna (R), John Rutherford (R), Maria Elvira Salazar (R), Michael Waltz (R), and Kentucky Rep. James Comer (R), West Virginia Rep. Alex Mooney (R), Alabama Reps. Dale Strong (R) and Jerry Carl (R), South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace (R), and Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett (R).

"This Congress, I hope that we can finally get this done,” Rubio said of the push.