Ads

Trump announces plan to end daylight saving time, calls it 'very costly'

File Photo

Ads

President-elect Donald Trump Friday announced that his party will try to end daylight saving time which is very inconvenient and costly to the country.

Desk Report

Publisted at 8:59 AM, Sat Dec 14th, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump Friday announced that his party will try to end daylight saving time which is very inconvenient and costly to the country.

"The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," Trump announced, reports Times of India.

The announcement was expected as recently Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy -- the two chiefs of the Department of Government Efficiency -- suggested to end the biannual ritual. 

"All I want for my birthday is the abolishment of Daylight Savings Time," one post read, to which Elon Musk responded by reacting positively. "It's inefficient & easy to change," Ramaswamy said.

Twice a year, Americans set their clock -- in March one hour ahead and in November one hour back. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time (which becomes 3:00 a.m. local Daylight Saving Time).

On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local Daylight Saving Time (which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time). These dates were established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Not all places in the US observe Daylight Saving Time. Hawaii and most of Arizona observe standard time only.

In 1974, Daylight Saving Time began on 6 January and in 1975 it began on 23 February. After those two years the starting date reverted to the last Sunday in April. In 1986, a law was passed that shifted the starting date of Daylight Saving Time to the first Sunday in April, beginning in 1987. The ending date of Daylight Saving Time was not subject to such changes, and remained the last Sunday in October.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed both the starting and ending dates. Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

A practice started long ago for emergencies remained in practice, though many believe it became unnecessary over time. A 2016 study by Chmura Economics & Analytics estimated that Daylight Saving Time costs the US more than $430 million a year. Making the time shift twice was also blamed for increase in adverse health consequences including heart attack and stroke from changing the clocks.

Ads

related news