Trump Advocates to End Daylight Saving Time

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stated on Friday that the Republican Party "will use its best efforts" to end daylight saving time, labeling it "inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation."

> "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump expressed via social media. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation."

Daylight saving time, which involves setting the clocks forward one hour during the summer to capitalize on longer evenings, has been observed in most of the United States since the 1960s but has sparked controversy in recent years.

Some lawmakers advocate for remaining on standard time year-round, while others favor year-round daylight saving time, and some support maintaining the current practice. President Joe Biden has not disclosed his stance on the matter.

In March 2022, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to make daylight saving time permanent; however, the initiative stalled in the House due to a lack of consensus among lawmakers. Recently, a bipartisan group of senators revived efforts to establish permanent daylight saving time.

Proponents of keeping daylight saving time argue it results in brighter afternoons and increases economic activity during winter. Conversely, critics raise concerns that it would necessitate children walking to school in darkness, delaying sunrise by an hour.

Advocates for eliminating daylight saving time entirely claim that the biannual clock changes lead to sleep disturbances and health problems.

Congress has not held any new discussions on this topic for over two years, and the Senate must revisit the issue.

Year-round daylight saving time was implemented during World War II and again in 1973 to reduce energy consumption due to an oil embargo, but it was unpopular and repealed a year later.

Since 2015, about 30 states have proposed or enacted legislation to stop the clocks from changing twice a year, contingent on neighboring states doing the same.