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Millions of Americans will “spring forward” this weekend, moving their clocks an hour ahead and losing an hour of sleep. Experts say the time change causes a drop in productivity, a surge in traffic deaths and an uptick in suicides. The twice yearly disruption has fueled arguments to “lock the clock.”
Shortly before taking office, President Donald Trump called the ritual of turning the clock an hour ahead every March and back an hour in November “inconvenient” and “costly.” He vowed on social media that Republicans would work to end the time changes. But now, the president has softened his stance.
“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,” Trump told reporters.
The debate over the time changes has raged for decades, often fueled by powerful economic interests. The golf industry has lobbied to make daylight saving time permanent, which would give golfers an extra hour of sunlight to play in the fall and winter. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time year-round.
Conversely, the bill would mean darkness in winter mornings when people are heading to work and school. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other medical experts have been pushing for permanent standard time. They say sunlight in the morning would be better for natural sleep cycles.
“Morning sunlight is especially important for schoolchildren, for commuters, for outdoor laborers, for service personnel, for those who need to get up a little bit earlier in the morning, “ said Jay Pea, president of the advocacy group Save Standard Time. “They need that morning light to thrive, to feel awake and to feel ready for the day, and that’s what standard time provides.”
Hawaii and most of Arizona already use permanent standard time. But 20 other states have passed bills that would immediately implement permanent daylight saving time if the Senate approves.
An earlier version of the Sunshine Protection Act won unanimous Senate approval, but never made it to the House floor for a vote. The Constitution grants Congress the authority to regulate weights and measurements, so any changes would likely need congressional approval.
Political scientist Brandyn Churchill said one way or another, Trump’s support could prove crucial in getting a change implemented.
“He has demonstrated that he has a very strong grasp on the rank-and-file members of his party,” Churchill said. “So to the degree that there are holdouts, he can convey that this is something that is important to him and see if that does not lead people to sort of fall into line.”
But Churchill said it may be a while before we can stop changing the clocks back and forth.
“I think part of the problem is it’s hard to focus on something that we really only feel in March and November for about a week,” he said.
This week, Trump called it a “50-50” issue and “hard to get excited about.”
A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found 63% of Americans support getting rid of yearly time changes. But the debate continues about whether daylight saving or standard Time is better.
