WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a speech advocating for The Sunshine Protection Act, his bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Sen. Tuberville joined U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and several other colleagues in forcing a vote on the bill – but unfortunately, it did not pass the Senate.
Read excerpts from his speech below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.
“Mr. President, I come to the floor today to once again talk about the outdated practice of changing our clocks twice a year. This weekend, my constituents back home in Alabama and across America will be forced to change their clocks. As a result, it will be dark in Washington, D.C. at 5PM next week.
In the five years I have served here in the Senate, making Daylight Saving Time permanent is the number one issue that I hear about back home. And I’m proud to have joined my colleague, Rick Scott, earlier this year in reintroducing the Sunshine Protection Act to make Daylight Saving Time permanent on the federal level. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been brought to the floor for a vote.
So, here I am advocating once again to make the outdated practice of changing the clock a thing of the past. You know, for nearly 60 years, Americans have changed their clocks back and forth twice a year, but the roots of Daylight Saving Time trace back much further. Daylight Saving Time was introduced during World War I and then reused again during World War II as a temporary way to help conserve fuel and energy. Following the ends of both wars, the decision to spring forward and fall back was returned to individual states. It wasn’t ‘til 1966 when the system of changing our clocks twice a year that we use now was made permanent. Changing our clocks twice a year might have made sense in the 60s, but it doesn’t make sense anymore. The twice a year time change doesn’t make sense today.
We know the devastating impact disruption from so-called ‘Standard Time’ has on Americans’ health. Studies have suggested that disruption of sleep patterns due to time changes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and physical injury. Northwestern [Medicine] found that the fall back and the spring forward are connected to a 6% spike in fatal car accidents and a 24% higher risk of heart attacks. Think about that. Additionally, the long-term health effects linked to changing our clocks include weight gain, cluster headaches, and depression. You would think we would listen to all that.
Bottom line: switching our clocks disrupts sleep patterns, and it has been proven time and time again to be harmful to the health. Thanks to RFK Jr.’s great work [at] HHS, a lot of Americans are taking their health more seriously […] by trying to eat healthier and to get more sleep. Switching the clock back and forth is the exact opposite of the Make America Healthy Again movement that RFK Jr. has championed. It’s bad for sleep, it’s bad for nutrition, and it’s bad for overall health.
And for that reason, I push back and try to get this on the floor sooner or later, and I yield back to my colleague, Rick Scott.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
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