By David Shepardson and David Morgan
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate is reviewing a bill passed by the House to make daylight saving time permanent but it is unclear if it has enough support to become law, the top Senate Republican said Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it was not clear whether the daylight saving bill could garner the 60 votes needed for passage in the chamber.
“We’re looking at it. You know the House had a big vote. There’s a lot of interest in it from members on our side over here. Some for, some against,” the South Dakota Republican told reporters. Asked whether he could support the legislation, Thune replied: “I’m from a northern clime. I voted against it in committee.”
The House of Representatives passed the measure in a 308-117 vote to end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks observed across most of the nation since the 1960s.
If enacted, clocks would no longer return to standard time in November, although states could opt out of year-round daylight saving time if they do not currently observe it or voted to adopt permanent standard time before the law was changed.
Supporters say changing the clocks disrupts sleep, increases workplace injuries and contributes to more road accidents. They argue keeping clocks an hour ahead year-round would provide more evening daylight and boost economic activity during the winter months.
Critics note the change would mean the sun rises an hour later on winter mornings, leaving more children traveling to school and commuters, construction workers, farmers and others heading to work before daylight. In some places the sun would not rise until nearly 9 a.m. or later at the height of winter.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the twice-yearly clock changes and strongly supports the measure.
The bill faces opposition from Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, and others. Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would result in very late winter sunrises and force children in many parts of the country to go to school in darkness.
The U.S. used year-round daylight saving time during World War Two and enacted it again in 1974 to reduce energy use. But it proved deeply unpopular and Congress repealed it later that year.
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Katharine Jackson; editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
