The bipartisan measure passed 308-117. It would establish permanent daylight saving time nationwide while allowing states to opt out if their legislatures act before the law takes effect. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain.

Supporters said the change would provide more evening daylight, benefiting families, businesses and outdoor recreation. Critics argued it would leave many Americans beginning winter mornings in darkness, raising concerns about school commutes and public safety.

Supporters Call for Ending Clock Changes

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Florida Republican who backed the legislation, said Americans are ready to “ditch the switch” by ending the practice of changing clocks twice each year.

He argued that a permanent schedule would reduce disruptions while extending daylight into the evening, providing benefits for families and local businesses. Bilirakis also said the change would support Florida’s tourism-driven economy.

Before the vote, the White House endorsed the Sunshine Protection Act, calling it a common-sense reform with broad public support. The administration said presidential advisers would recommend that the president sign the measure if it reaches the White House.

Critics Cite Winter Morning Risks

Democratic lawmakers who opposed the bill warned that permanent daylight saving time would produce darker winter mornings, increasing risks for children traveling to school and commuters heading to work before sunrise.

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania said millions of Americans would begin their winter days in darkness, with sunrise occurring after many had already left home.

Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said he supports permanent daylight saving time in principle but questioned whether Congress should prioritize the issue while many Americans continue to face rising housing, grocery, utility and healthcare costs.

Poll Shows Public Support

Public opinion has generally favored keeping daylight saving time year-round.

According to a 2025 poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 56% of U.S. adults said they would choose permanent daylight saving time if required to adopt a single nationwide system. About four in 10 preferred permanent standard time, which provides more morning daylight but earlier sunsets.

Senate Faces Familiar Debate

Congress has debated daylight saving time for decades. The practice was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942.

The Senate passed similar legislation four years ago, but the proposal stalled in the House.

Whether the latest bill advances remains uncertain. Although it cleared the House with bipartisan support, senators have yet to indicate whether they will take up the measure before lawmakers adjourn for the year.

This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Article Topics: Daylight Saving Time | House of Representatives | Sunshine Protection Act | Senate | White House | Clock Changes | Public Opinion

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In a social media post before the deadline to act on the legislation, Trump said he would not sign the housing bill because the Senate had not passed the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship for all voters.

“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump wrote.

Under the Constitution, a bill approved by Congress becomes law if a president neither signs nor vetoes it within the prescribed period while Congress remains in session. Trump had until Friday to decide whether to sign the measure, veto it, or allow it to take effect without his signature.

White House Protest Centers on Election Legislation

Trump’s decision links a bipartisan housing measure to a separate legislative effort focused on election rules, underscoring his administration’s emphasis on voter identification legislation even as Congress had already approved the housing package with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The president had already delayed action on the measure more than a week earlier, canceling a planned signing ceremony after announcing he would withhold his approval until lawmakers acted on the SAVE America Act.

According to the report, the voter ID proposal does not currently have enough Republican support in the Senate to secure passage.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, had encouraged Trump to sign the legislation after it was delivered to the White House.

Johnson told reporters he hoped the president would approve the bill but acknowledged that it would become law regardless. He also said he understood Trump’s effort to emphasize the elections legislation as his top priority.

Housing Measure Targets Affordability Challenges

The newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents one of the broadest federal housing initiatives in decades and is intended to reduce housing costs while encouraging additional residential construction.

The legislation seeks to ease federal housing regulations, streamline environmental reviews, accelerate homebuilding projects and limit corporate purchases of single-family homes.

Earlier this year, White House economists estimated that the United States faces a shortage of approximately 10 million homes. The administration said the legislation could help reduce part of that deficit.

Despite those goals, Trump dismissed the measure as “a yawn” and “so unimportant” compared with legislation addressing voter eligibility requirements.

The bill does not address every factor contributing to housing affordability, including shortages of construction workers, rising insurance costs and wage growth that has not kept pace with housing expenses. However, it has received backing from housing advocates and the real estate industry.

Bipartisan Congressional Support

The legislation advanced through Congress with broad bipartisan backing.

The Senate approved the bill by an 85-5 vote, while the House passed it 358-32.

Trump’s decision not to sign the measure nevertheless drew criticism from Democrats, who argued that the move shifted attention away from housing affordability.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on X that Trump’s priorities favored expanding his own political influence over addressing costs facing American families.

The housing market remains a significant affordability challenge across the United States. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing-home sales price reached a record $440,600 in June, up 1.8% from a year earlier and the highest level since the organization began tracking the data in 1999.

This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Article Topics: Housing Policy | Congress | Voter ID | Executive Branch | Housing Affordability | Senate | Federal Legislation

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The measure, introduced by Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, passed by a vote of 226-195 after supporters successfully used a discharge petition to force the bill onto the House floor. The procedural move allowed lawmakers to bypass leadership opposition and bring the legislation to a vote despite objections from senior Republican officials.

According to details of the bill, the legislation would provide more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction assistance for Ukraine while making an additional $8 billion available through loans intended to support the country’s defense efforts.

The vote represents the second major instance this week in which House lawmakers broke with President Donald Trump on a foreign policy matter. A day earlier, the chamber approved a war powers resolution aimed at restricting U.S. military involvement in Iran.

Rare Procedural Move Forces House Vote

Supporters relied on a discharge petition, a legislative mechanism that allows a majority of House members to circumvent leadership and bring legislation directly to the floor. The petition gathered the required 218 signatures, reflecting support from Democrats as well as a group of Republicans willing to challenge party leadership.

The use of discharge petitions has become increasingly prominent during the current Congress. Lawmakers previously employed the procedure to advance legislation concerning the release of government files related to Jeffrey Epstein and to extend Affordable Care Act health care subsidies, although the subsidy measure ultimately failed to advance in the Senate.

During debate, Meeks argued that continued support for Ukraine would strengthen Kyiv’s position in any future negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. He framed the decision as one that would influence whether Ukraine could negotiate from a position of strength or whether Russia could outlast Western support.

Republican Leaders Raise Concerns

Most Republicans opposed the legislation, arguing that ongoing negotiations between Congress and the White House could produce a more comprehensive package.

Rep. French Hill of Arkansas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he supports Ukraine but described the legislation as outdated and argued that it would provide less security assistance than levels previously approved in congressional defense policy.

Hill also expressed concern that provisions within the bill could inadvertently reduce defense spending commitments among some members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the legislation and suggested it was primarily intended to challenge the president’s foreign policy approach.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana urged lawmakers to reject the measure, citing ongoing discussions between congressional leaders and the White House over potential Ukraine-related legislation. Scalise said negotiations were progressing and warned that passage of the House bill could complicate those efforts.

Bipartisan Support Emerges

Despite leadership opposition, a group of Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure.

Among them was Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who publicly backed the legislation during floor debate. In total, 18 Republicans voted in favor of the bill alongside 207 Democrats and one independent member.

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar voted against the measure, joining most Republicans in opposition.

Supporters acknowledged the legislation faces uncertain prospects in the Senate but argued that House approval sends an important signal regarding congressional support for Ukraine.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, one of the Republicans who signed the discharge petition, said the vote was intended to demonstrate continued congressional engagement with the conflict and support for Ukraine’s military forces.

Senate Outlook Remains Uncertain

Although the bill cleared the House, its future remains unclear in the Senate, where support may depend heavily on whether the White House ultimately endorses the legislation.

Senate discussions on Ukraine policy have recently focused on a separate proposal that would impose broad tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil, natural gas, uranium and other exports that help finance Moscow’s military operations.

That legislation has yet to advance, leaving uncertainty over the next phase of congressional action related to the war.

Ukraine Conflict Continues to Shape Debate

The House vote comes as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues more than four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.

Recent weeks have seen renewed long-range attacks by both sides, while diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire have failed to produce a breakthrough. U.S.-led negotiations have struggled to narrow major differences between the parties, and international attention has increasingly shifted toward developments involving Iran.

According to the latest quarterly inspector general report for Operation Atlantic Resolve, the United States has approved approximately $195 billion in response to the conflict. A significant portion of that funding has been used to replenish American military stockpiles after weapons transfers to Ukraine.

The last major Ukraine assistance package approved by Congress was enacted in April 2024, although smaller amounts of funding have since been included in annual government spending legislation.

With Senate action uncertain and White House support unresolved, the House vote underscores continued divisions in Washington over how the United States should approach the ongoing conflict and future assistance for Ukraine.

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In a tragic accident near Seattle, teenager Chase Daniel Jones, who admitted to being “addicted to speed,” crashed into a minivan at 112 mph, killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting. The crash, which occurred in March 2024, has sparked a nationwide conversation about how to curb reckless driving, particularly among habitual speeders.

Jones, who had previously totaled two cars in less than a year, was sentenced to over 17 years in prison. As part of his sentence, a judge required that any future vehicle Jones drives must be equipped with a device that limits his speed. This decision marks a new phase in how the U.S. is addressing dangerous drivers, with Virginia becoming the first state to adopt such technology as part of a broader effort to keep the roads safer.

The Push for Speed-Limiting Technology

This new approach is gaining traction in several states. Virginia has already passed legislation allowing judges to mandate speed-limiting devices for habitual offenders, while Washington, D.C., has already implemented the technology. Now, states like Washington and Georgia are preparing to adopt similar measures. New York and California may soon follow suit, as the U.S. grapples with a recent surge in traffic deaths.

Amy Cohen, whose son was tragically killed by a speeding driver in 2010, is among those advocating for change. She founded Families for Safe Streets to support victims of speeding-related crashes and has long pushed for stronger safeguards to prevent similar tragedies.

Turning Tragedy Into Action

The recent crash in Washington state, where minivan driver Andrea Hudson and three children lost their lives, has fueled legislative efforts. Hudson was working on a backyard greenhouse with her husband to educate kids in her community, including those who tragically lost their lives in the crash. Hudson’s two surviving children spent weeks in the hospital following the collision.

“I never thought something like this could happen to me. But when it does, it’s a horror no one should ever experience,” said Ted Smith, Hudson’s father. He later connected with Washington state Rep. Mari Leavitt, who introduced a bill to mandate speed-limiting devices for repeat speeders as a condition for reinstating their suspended licenses. Leavitt believes that this approach will be more effective than simply revoking licenses, noting that studies show many who lose their licenses continue to drive illegally.

Between 2019 and 2024, Washington state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going 50 mph or more over the speed limit, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Leavitt hopes the new law will help curb this dangerous trend.

The BEAM Act: A New Model for Road Safety

Washington state’s new bill, the BEAM Act, was passed in memory of the four victims of the March 2024 crash—Buster, Eloise, Andrea, and Matilda. Once signed into law, it will require some offenders to install devices that prevent their vehicles from exceeding certain speeds, thus promoting safer driving habits.

Though Jones’ prior crashes didn’t result in speeding tickets, this new law would have required a speed-limiting device if it had been in place earlier. The law isn’t set to take effect until 2029, but the judge’s order applies during his probation, ensuring that Jones won’t have access to a vehicle without the device during that time.

A Technological Solution to Speeding

The technology behind speed-limiting devices has evolved significantly over the years. Initially used for fleet vehicles like school buses, the devices now use GPS to recognize speed limits and adjust the vehicle’s speed accordingly. This ensures that drivers cannot exceed legal limits, although some models allow for emergency overrides if needed.

In the European Union, a similar technology is required in new vehicles, alerting drivers when they are speeding. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a proposal for similar requirements, citing concerns about conflicting state laws. However, advocates believe that the benefits of these devices—especially when mandated by the courts—outweigh potential challenges.

The Impact of Slowing Down Speeders

Before Del. Patrick Hope of Virginia sponsored the legislation for speed-limiting devices, he personally tested one in a car. The device, which prevents the car from exceeding 9 mph over the speed limit, convinced Hope of its safety and effectiveness. Now, he’s considering installing one in the vehicles of his own teenage children.

While the cost for offenders required to install the device could be as high as $4 per day with a $100 installation fee, advocates argue that the investment is worth the safety benefits.

Amy Cohen, who lost her son to a speeding driver, knows firsthand the difference that slowing down can make. After advocating for a lower speed limit on her street, Cohen saw another child survive a crash in the same location—a powerful reminder of how reducing speed can save lives.

A Future of Safer Roads

As states like Virginia, Washington, and Georgia take the lead in implementing speed-limiting technology, the hope is that it will spread nationwide, turning the tragedy of lives lost into a movement for road safety. With the support of families affected by speeding-related deaths, advocates are determined to make the streets safer for everyone.

Source: AP News – US states push for speed-limiting devices on the cars of dangerous drivers

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