Daylight Saving Time Could Soon Be Permanent & Abe Hamadeh Says It's About Time

Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) had a simple message heading into Tuesday's House vote on daylight saving time: the rest of America should take a page out of Arizona's book.

Hamadeh voted in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, which passed the House 308-117 and would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks that most Americans have complained about for decades.

"Hey guys, I'm about to go vote right now on the Sunshine Protection Act, which makes daylight saving time permanent," Hamadeh said in a video before casting his vote. "I've always said that America should be a little bit more like Arizona. In Arizona, we haven't changed our clocks in forever. I am happy to vote for this piece of legislation because we need more sunlight here in Washington, D.C., and all across the country. No changing of the clock."

Arizona's Current System

Arizona is one of the few places in the country that doesn't observe daylight saving time at all, keeping its clocks fixed year-round, a policy that has long made the state an outlier and, in Hamadeh's view, a model worth following.

The bill, sponsored by Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL), would lock the country into the time currently observed between March and November, unless a state opted out before the law took effect.

President Donald Trump has publicly backed the legislation, calling the twice-yearly clock change a "ridiculous production" and urging Congress to act.

NBC reported the vote itself had a lighthearted moment; the congressman presiding over the House floor played the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" on his phone as he announced the final tally.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where its path is less certain. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has raised concerns about dark winter mornings in parts of the country where the sun wouldn't rise until 9 a.m. or later under permanent daylight saving time, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the chamber would take a careful look before acting.

For now, Hamadeh and his fellow supporters are hopeful that the Senate will follow the House's lead and that the days of changing clocks are finally numbered.