Members of the Senate Commerce Committee narrowly endorsed a bill on Wednesday to make daylight saving time permanent, Politico reported.

The vote was not divided evenly along party lines. Senators in both parties approved and voted against it. But in the end, the 16-12 vote will have to be repeated as too many senators were not physically present and voted by proxy.

Committee Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who voted yes on more daylight in the evening and less in the morning, said: “There are times when you have a hearing on a bill, and you’re trying to move forward with a bill, and you think there’s a clear right answer — this is not one of those times, at least for me.

“The testimony we heard at the hearing … persuaded me that we should lock the clock, that the practice of springing forward and falling backward every year doesn’t make sense.”

The vote came as President Donald Trump earlier this month gave his endorsement to make daylight saving time permanent.

Cruz offered an amendment to give states a two-year window to choose between permanent daylight or standard time. The proposal has reopened a national debate, with golf courses and retailers backing more evening daylight, and doctors and broadcasters warning of health risks and winter sunrises after 9 a.m. in some areas.

A similar bill passed the Senate unanimously in 2022 but stalled in the House.

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