US Senate passes bill to make daylight saving time permanent

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On Tuesday, the US Senate put forward a bill that would bring an end to the clock change that happens twice a year. The bill will make daylight saving time the "new, permanent standard time" - this essentially means brighter winter evenings. 

The bill, called the Sunshine Protection Act, needs to be backed by the House of Representatives. 

'No more dark afternoons in the winter. No more losing an hour of sleep every spring. We want more sunshine during our most productive waking hours," said Senator Patty Murray after the passage of the bill.

Marco Rubio, Republican senator, presented the idea last year, basing the law on studies that show that a permanent daylight saving time (DST) can add some benefits to the economy. 

"It's really straightforward. Cutting back on the sun during the fall and winter is a drain on the American people and does little to nothing to help them," Rubio said before the voting procedure. "It's time we retire this tired tradition."

The studies explained by Rubio contend that in the week that follows the changing of clocks, there is an increase of heart attacks and road accidents in the United States.

The DST was first adopted during WW1 by the federal government but was canceled after 7 months.