Following Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic landfall, Governor Ron DeSantis has requested an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration to support Florida's response and recovery efforts. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and members...
Following Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic landfall in Florida, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined the U.S. Coast Guard to survey impacted areas across the State. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio joins the U.S. Coast Guard for a flyover...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
Major Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida, bringing with it devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. The Seminole Tribe of Florida should have access to the federal resources required for emergency response and recovery preparations on...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to potentially hinder or obstruct the Port of Tampa Bay, which receives more than 40 percent of Florida’s petroleum products. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite all requested measures to protect Florida’s economy...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to impact Florida with devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. After just being hit by Hurricane Helene, it’s crucial for the State of Florida to have the support of the federal government. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio...
Why “Fall Back” and “Spring Forward” Should End––For Good
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
November 3, 2023
In the spring of 2022, something amazing happened. No, I’m not talking about everyone changing their clocks by one hour for no good reason…. I’m talking about the U.S. Senate passing a bill by unanimous consent to eliminate that pointless tradition….
Think about it. Why do we “fall back” and “spring forward,” year after year after year?…It’s not because of popular preference…. 22 states, including my own State of Florida, would enact year-long Daylight Saving Time (DST) if Congress would let them….
[Moreover,] when we revert to Standard Time this Sunday, public health is likely to decline. For one, it will get darker much earlier in the day. This is problematic for our entire society, which gets far too little exercise and far too much indoor screen-time….
That’s not all, either. According to several scientific studies, the stress imposed on our bodies by abruptly changing time may cause a six percent increase in car crashes, an eight percent increase in strokes, an 11 percent increase in depression, and a 24 percent increase in heart attacks.
With all these downsides, why do we carry on with changing the clocks?…We “fall back” and “spring forward” simply because of antiquated energy conservation measures from World War I. Those measures probably made sense at the time. But that doesn’t mean they make sense now, more than one hundred years later….
In the end, it’s clear that “fall back” and “spring forward” have outlived their purpose. I hope we can pass the Sunshine Protection Act through both houses of Congress this year—because we could all use a bit more common sense in this country.