(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) Congress remains stoked in the fevered grip of prolific spending, racking up more than $30T in debt and still borrowing with titanic vigor, but at least the Senate has agreed to save some daylight. Or at least shift it around a jig.
Senators, ironically, on late Tuesday night unanimously approved the so-called Sunshine Protection Act that would make daylight saving time permanent across the country, with a timestamp of November 2023.
“Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said.
The sentiment was shared by another Floridian, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the bill’s sponsors.
“One has to ask themselves why we keep doing this,” Rubio said from the Senate floor after introducing the bill.
“A majority of the American people’s preference is just to stop the back and forth changing,” he said, arguing that there is “strong science” showing the harms of “clock switching,” including an increase in heart attacks, car accidents and pedestrian accidents in the weeks that follow a time change, while crime has shown to decline when it stays light late in the day.
That all apparently sounded super awesome to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who was presiding over the Senate, and let loose, “Oh, I love it,” as the bill was introduced.
As it was passed, Sinema gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” With a double-fist pump.
👀 WATCH: Senator Rubio speaks on the Senate floor following the unanimous passage of his Sunshine Protection Act to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. #LocktheClock 🌞 pic.twitter.com/q3EF9Y8Uy6
— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) March 15, 2022
While introducing the legislation, Rubio had the commonsense to acknowledge the obvious, that “this is not the most important issue confronting America,” what with that nasty spat over in Ukraine, gas prices soaring, inflation rampant, supply chains still in crisis and shelves running low.
“But it’s one of those issues where there’s a lot of agreement,” Rubio said. “If we can get this passed, we don’t have to do this stupidity anymore.
“Pardon the pun, but this is an idea whose time has come,” he quipped.
The bill still needs approval from the House, which has indicated there won’t be any serious objections, and the signature of President Joe Biden, to become law.
The over/under on Sleepy Joe approving it: eight winks and three catnaps.
Happy National Napping Day! pic.twitter.com/GKERK05oIG
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 14, 2022
