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US House of Reps Hesitate to make Daylight Savings Time Permanent

US House of Reps Hesitate to make Daylight Savings Time Permanent

By Yehudit Garmaise

After the U.S. Senate unanimously voted on March 16 to extend Daylight Saving Time to the entire year, members of the US House of Representatives say they are not necessarily ready to rush into leaving standard time behind forever.

While many Americans cheered the ideas of not having to change clocks twice a year and enjoying later sunsets year-round, many lawmakers point out that later sunsets also mean later sunrises.

In the winter, darkness could extend to as late as 9 am in many cities, which would mean long, dark, and gloomy mornings for children walking to schools and waiting at bus stops. Frum men who need to say Shachris before going to work, and farmers and others who work outside early in the morning may also not find this change exciting. 

Now that the bipartisan bill, called the Sunshine Protection Act, has gone to the House, the Energy and Commerce Committee discussed the potential legislation in an initial hearing.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the bill, “an important step,” but he added that he “looks forward to hearing from other House members,” many of whom have requested more evidence and studies about DST.

Since first adopting Daylight Saving Time in 1942 as a way to extend daylight and thereby save energy during World War II, members of Congress have long debated the pros and cons of changing the clocks twice a year.

While many Americans enjoy sunlight extending later into the night, other Americans fear the negative consequence of dark mornings. In addition, some studies show that more car accidents, heart attacks, headaches, and other health problems result right after Americans change their clocks. 

Photo Credit One K Studio 

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