With Daylight Saving Time set to begin this weekend, Senators Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) teamed up Friday to introduce the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, a push to “lock the clock” and establish Daylight Saving Time (DST) as the year-round standard across the U.S.
The duo rallied an impressive roster of 16 co-sponsors from both parties—including Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.)—to end the biannual clock-switching ritual once and for all.
Moody, framing the bill as a win for families, said, “As a baseball mom, I enthusiastically support an extra hour of sunlight. Why miss out on daylight when we could be outside with our families enjoying all that Florida has to offer?”
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She highlighted broader perks: “This legislation also has long-term benefits that help our farmers, support healthier families and safer neighborhoods, all while growing the economy.” Scott, a longtime advocate, added, “I hear from Americans constantly that they are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year … I’m excited to have President Trump back in the White House and fully on board to LOCK THE CLOCK.”
The coalition spans the political spectrum, with Murray noting, “Every winter folks in Washington state despair at losing an hour of precious sunlight … This is about public health, our economy, and putting a little more light in families’ lives.” Markey chimed in, “Let’s say goodbye to 4pm winter sunsets and permanently spring forward for brighter evenings year-round.” Tuberville, who led a unanimous Senate passage in 2022 that later stalled, said it’s the top issue Alabamians raise with him, while Heinrich (D-N.M.) called it a “no-brainer.”
Other backers—like Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)—echoed the sentiment. Lankford quipped, “Moms of young children dread the time of year when clocks change, but babies’ schedules don’t,” and Hyde-Smith stressed farmers’ need for consistent daylight. Padilla pointed to California’s 2018 vote for permanent DST, stalled without federal action, saying, “More daylight after work means more business and safer communities.”
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Scott’s nod to Trump’s support could tip the scales after past near-misses. In 2018, as Florida governor, he signed a state law to opt out, contingent on Congress approving it—a step the Sunshine Protection Act would fulfill. The bill’s 2022 Senate win fizzled in the House, but this time, with co-sponsors like Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), momentum feels stronger.
Advocates tout economic boosts from evening commerce, safer streets with later sunsets, and health gains from more outdoor time. Critics, less vocal now, have flagged darker winter mornings, but the bipartisan chorus suggests a shift. As clocks jump forward Sunday, Moody and Scott’s bill aims to make “falling back” history—potentially by next November if it clears Congress and lands on Trump’s desk. “It’s time to end the twice-yearly change for good,” Moody declared.
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