The House passed legislation Tuesday to end the nation’s biannual practice of changing the clocks — a vote that sowed division in both parties and now faces an uphill battle in the Senate despite strong lobbying from the White House and personal engagement from President Donald Trump.
The final vote of 308-117 did not break down neatly along party lines. Twenty-two Republicans opposed it, even as the Trump administration put out a Statement of Administrative Policy encouraging its enactment.
Many Florida lawmakers extolled the legislation, with the state’s chief economic drivers — tourism, recreation, restaurants and golfing — standing to benefit from the extra hours of daylight in the evenings year-round.
“Why in the heck are we still changing our clocks?” Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) asked during floor debate on the bill. “Floridians — we are the sunshine state. We value sunshine.”