If you find Daylight Savings Time antiquated and confusing, you’re not alone. We just did the “spring forward” part of this over the weekend, but that doesn’t mean everyone knows why. The practice of switching the clocks by an hour twice a year is used in many countries around the world to maximize daylight hours. (Here’s a short lesson on its history if you have nothing better to do.) But it’s also an idea that’s over a hundred years old and maybe doesn’t quite fit with how we use light in the modern era. It seems the U.S. Senate agrees.
On Tuesday, March 15, the 100-legislator body voted unanimously (!) to make Daylight Savings Time permanent starting in November 2023. Marco Rubio explained, per Reuters, that the reason for the delay is the needs of broadcasters and airlines.
In order for this change to become law, it needs to also pass the House of Representatives and then be signed by President Biden.
As the Washingtonian points out, should the bill become law, this would not be the first time the country went on year-round DST. We made the switch during World War II to save on energy costs and again in the 1970s during the Nixon administration. Once enacted, the change proved unpopular, as children disliked going to school in the dark in the mornings, and President Ford swiftly reversed course upon taking office.