Sunshine Protection Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I want to join with the Senator from the Sunshine State, letting him know that the Senator from the Bay State, the Senator from the Ocean State, we share a common agenda. We bridge ideological divisions--liberal Democrats from the Northeast, conservative Republicans from Florida coming together to show that this institution can work.

And why is that?

Well, it is because we know that daylight saving time helps to turn the corners of people's mouths upward into a smile. It is sunshine and smiles.

We have only had daylight saving time so far for 2 days, but all across the country, people are out in the evening with the extra daylight. Little League can start. People taking their evening walks feel more safe. People can just walk down to the town square, knowing that the daylight is out there.

And so this is something that should be bipartisan. It should bring us all together, and I thank the Senator from Florida for his leadership on this issue.

And so many people are wondering, can the Congress work? And I think here is something that does have a big impact on every American life, and getting that extra hour of daylight of sunshine into people's lives is absolutely essential.

So we have been working, you know, together to, once and for all, deal with this issue of springing forward and falling back, and that is to make daylight saving time permanent.

This past Sunday, Americans had to once again change their clocks, all because of the outdated government policy on daylight saving time. This biannual ritual of toggling between daylight saving time and standard time isn't just an inconvenience to people everywhere, it has real repercussions on our economy and our daily lives.

Studies have found that year-round daylight saving time would improve public health, public safety, energy policy, mental health--an especially important commitment after this cold and dark COVID winter.

Seasonal affective disorder is real, and when they get that extra hour of Sun in the evening, it helps tens of millions of people all across the country to finally put the winter into a rearview mirror. But let's be honest. Spring really starts when we spring forward to daylight saving time.

So daylight saving time brings sunshine, smiles, and savings to every person in the country. And more evening sunshine also leads to fewer traffic fatalities, increased economic activity, and more recreation time. From afterwork shopping to Little League games and family bike rides, an extra hour of evening sunshine puts a spring in our step and offers a great reason to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

The case for permanent daylight saving time is clear. So let's go from polar to solar. Let's finally make that change in our country because cutting back on the Sun during the fall and winter is a drain on the American people. We must pass the Sunshine Protection Act and make daylight saving time permanent once and for all.

This is an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together and do something that really helps the American people feel better about themselves every single day of the year.

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