New bipartisan push to make Daylight Saving Time permanent
Democratic and Republican lawmakers are pushing new legislation to end Daylight Saving Time.
Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), James Lankford (R-OK), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Ed Markey (D-MA) have reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent across the country.
Daylight Saving Time starts this Sunday, March 14, and lasts through November 7.
In a statement, the senators said their bill would apply to the majority of U.S. states which observe DST. If the bill became law, it would mean that no one would have to change their clocks twice a year.
Studies have linked the lack of sleep from losing an hour in the spring to more car accidents, workplace injuries, suicide, and miscarriages. The early evening darkness in the fall has been linked to depression. The risk of suffering a heart attack increases when Daylight Saving Times begins. However, the extra hour of sleep when we finally fall back has been linked to fewer heart attacks.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine believes people would benefit from eliminating daylight saving time. The AASM contended that a switch to permanent standard time would put a stop to what they called dangerous impacts that have been correlated to daylight saving time.