U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) called on her colleagues to pass the Sunshine Protection Act outside of the Senate floor this week, which would make daylight saving time permanent across the country and eliminate the twice-yearly time shift.
"This is an onerous, archaic practice that doesn’t have to exist," Moody said. It's time we lock the clock. As a mom, I know we all want more time outside for our kids, so join me.”
Essentially, the Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent across the U.S., eliminating the nuisance of having to change your clocks or other devices twice a year.
Most smartphones automatically adjust for the change.
Sen. Moody's urgency comes as Americans set the clocks back one hour this weekend. She also noted that President Donald Trump is among those backing the measure.
"Let your Senators know it's time to get this done," Moody said.
While President Trump has urged Congress to pass the measure, he has been a bit more nonchalant about it in his priorities.
"If some things are a 50-50 issue, it's hard to get excited about," Trump told Fox News's Peter Doocy in the Oval Office. "I assume people would like to have more light later, but some people want to have more light earlier because they don't want to take their kids to school in the dark."
Previous Sunshine Protection Acts have passed in the Senate but failed in the House.
"It's very much, it's a little bit one way, but it's very much a 50-50 issue," Trump added. "It's something I can do, but a lot of people like it one way, a lot of people like it the other way. "It's very even, and usually I find when that's the case, what else do we have to do?"
For now, Moody reminded Floridians to turn back the clock.
"This weekend, don’t forget Daylight Saving Time ends and we have to set our clocks back!" Moody wrote. "It’s time to pass the Sunshine Protection Act and lock the clock once and for all."
