ICYMI from March: Senator Murray pens Op-Ed calling for permanent Daylight Saving Time – MORE HERE
Senator Murray: “To put it simply, Americans want more sunshine and less depression. That’s why I am proud to be a cosponsor of the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act of 2021”
***WATCH VIDEO OF SENATOR MURRAY’S FLOOR SPEECH HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke on the Senate floor calling for federal action to follow the will of Washington voters and allow Washington state and the rest of the nation to move to permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST). During the speech, Senator Murray called on the Senate to pass legislation she has cosponsored, the Sunshine Protection Act, to establish permanent DST. Murray also pressed for executive action by the Biden administration to grant states like Washington, that have voted to move to permanent DST, a waiver to do so.
“To put it simply, Americans want more sunshine and less depression. That’s why I am proud to be a cosponsor of the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 which would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently so Americans can enjoy having sunlight during their most productive hours of the day and never have to worry about changing their clocks again. Congress needs to be a part of the solution. Here’s a bipartisan issue that we can and should all get behind,” said Senator Murray. “For goodness’ sake, voters across the country have shown they support this, research shows this is good for public health, and studies demonstrate real economic benefits. So let’s pass the Sunshine Protection Act and finally make Daylight Saving Time permanent.”
Senator Murray has been a strong proponent of making DST permanent, expressing her support after Governor Inslee signed legislation into law to make DST permanent in Washington state. In March, Senator Murray co-authored an op-ed with Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio on the need to pass the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, legislation to extend DST permanently, so Americans can enjoy having sunlight during their most productive hours of the day and never have to worry about changing their clocks again. Throughout the past year, Senator Murray has continued encouraging her colleagues to support the Sunshine Protection Act and pushing for action on the bill.
In addition to pursuing a federal legislative solution, since President Biden took office, Senator Murray has also reached out to the Biden administration to explore alternative pathways for a federal waiver under executive authority. While Senator Murray continues to push for the passage of the Sunshine Protection Act, if the administration, specifically the Department of Transportation, believes it can provide a waiver to states that have passed laws to enact permanent DST—such as allowing them to shift between time zones depending on the time of year to effectively make DST permanent in the state—that presents an additional route to ensuring the people of Washington state are able to enjoy DST year round. As she noted in her speech, Senator Murray is vigorously pursuing both the legislative and executive paths to getting permanent DST for Washington state done.
Senator Murray’s remarks as prepared for delivery are included below:
“M. President, I come to the floor today because it’s time to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
“This Sunday millions of Americans will once again roll their clocks back, and in no time, next spring they’ll have to roll their clocks forward—and for what?
“I don’t know a single person who loves to go through the trouble of figuring out whether the microwave or the oven has the hour right or anyone who looks forward to the sun setting earlier and earlier every winter.
“But beyond convenience, this is a matter of health and safety.
“Studies have shown our switch to standard time can increase rates of seasonal depression as well as heart problems and risk of stroke.
“Researchers also believe that if we made Daylight Saving Time permanent there would be fewer car accidents and evening robberies thanks to a more regular schedule and extra hour of sun.
“And there are studies that indicate permanent Daylight Saving Time could offset reduced economic activity that we see during standard time and even lead to greater energy savings.
“The people of my home state of Washington know this, that’s why we’ve passed legislation to switch to permanent Daylight Saving Time.
“And it’s not just Washington—states across the country from Florida, and California to Maine and many more have now passed legislation or resolutions to make Daylight Saving Time year-round.
“But they’re powerless to enact the overwhelming will of the people until they get federal approval.
“To put it simply M. President, Americans want more sunshine and less depression.
“That’s why I am proud to be a cosponsor of the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 which would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently so Americans can enjoy having sunlight during their most productive hours of the day and never have to worry about changing their clocks again.
“Congress needs to be a part of the solution. Here’s a bipartisan issue that we can and should all get behind.
“Now I am working very hard to support the passage of this bill however possible.
“But this is something my constituents are truly fed up with, so I am also pressing the Department of Transportation to explore every avenue available to them—to at least let states like mine, whose voters overwhelmingly want permanent Daylight Saving Time, have it.
“M. President, in this country when people have demanded changes to daylight saving rules or it benefits the country, like saving daylight during World War I or the oil embargo in the 1970s, we have always simply changed the rules. No one wants dark afternoons during the winter or to lose an hour of sleep every spring.
“For goodness’ sake, voters across the country have shown they support this research shows this is good for public health, and studies demonstrate real economic and energy saving benefits.
“So let’s pass the Sunshine Protection Act and finally make Daylight Saving Time permanent.”
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