The U.S. Senate voted on March 15 to effectively eliminate daylight savings time. The bill, championed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, is meant not only to save American’s the trouble of readjusting their sleep schedules but to increase public well-being as well.

Daylight savings time, though often erroneously attributed to founding father Benjamin Franklin, came about in the United States during the First World War, when the US instituted a plan to guarantee more daylight during wartime. It was abolished after the war, but President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted a similar plan during World War II. However, in 1966, the Uniform Time Act was implemented, creating daylight savings as we know it. And since then, it has been deeply unpopular.

As of 2022, only 35% of people support the yearly tradition of springing forward and falling back, whereas 59% favor keeping daylight savings permanent, meaning that the time will be consistent from when we lose an hour in the spring. This sentiment is what the Senate bill advocates.

However, the bill ending up on President Joe Biden’s desk is far from certain. It still requires passage by the House of Representatives. The bill is currently being stalled in the House, with considerations being given to how it would affect different time zones, and the fact that some don’t see the issue as a pressing matter. 

This isn’t the first time that the U.S. government has considered ending daylight savings; similar action was taken in the 1970’s but ultimately failed. Additionally, some maintain that, rather than trying to make daylight saving permanent, standard time should be adopted instead. 

“I support the bill!” says Nick Sack ‘23. “I don’t mind changing the clocks twice a year, but I really feel like my mental health improves when I can go outside in the early evening and have it still be light outside.”

Patrick Kane is a junior from Lakewood, Ohio and the World News Editor. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @therealpatkane, or on Instagram at pkdonuts5.