HRES-1055-119
Motion to Discharge Committee filed by Mr. Steube. Petition No: 119-20. (<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/DischargePetition/2026042920">Discharge petition</a> text with signatures.)
Sponsored by W. Steube (R-FL)
What it does
This resolution would set the procedural rules for the House of Representatives to consider H.R. 7378, a bill that would permanently adjust American timekeeping by amending the Calder Act. The resolution would waive all points of order against the bill, prohibit any amendments, allow one hour of debate split equally between the majority and minority, and permit one motion to recommit. It would also waive a Senate rule (clause 1(c) of rule XIX) for this bill's consideration.
Who benefits
Members of the House majority who want to bring H.R. 7378 to a floor vote quickly, bypassing the normal committee process. Advocates of permanent time standardization who have sought this change for years. Businesses that operate across time zones and prefer a stable, year-round time standard. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Steube, who filed a discharge petition to force the bill out of committee.
Who is hurt
Members of Congress — particularly in the minority — who would prefer to offer amendments or have more debate time on the underlying time-change bill. The Committee on Energy and Commerce, which loses its normal gatekeeping role over the underlying legislation. Members who support the underlying bill but want to modify specific provisions, as no amendments would be permitted.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the underlying bill — making daylight saving time permanent — has broad bipartisan public support, with polls consistently showing majorities of Americans favor ending the twice-yearly clock change. They contend that the normal committee process has stalled popular legislation, and that a discharge petition and closed rule are legitimate procedural tools to ensure the full House can vote on a measure that enjoys wide support but has been bottled up in committee.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that bypassing committee review and prohibiting all amendments removes the deliberative process that allows members to improve legislation and represent their constituents' specific concerns. They contend that a closed rule on a bill with significant national implications — affecting every American's daily schedule, public health, school start times, and commerce — denies the House the opportunity to address regional differences or unintended consequences that committee hearings would normally surface.
Constitutional context
This is a procedural House resolution governing floor consideration of another bill; it does not itself raise direct constitutional questions. The underlying bill (H.R. 7378) would amend federal timekeeping law, which falls within Congress's Commerce Clause authority (Art. I, §8, cl. 3), as uniform time standards directly affect interstate commerce — a power Congress has exercised since the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Checks and balances
This resolution shifts procedural power to the House floor majority by bypassing the Committee on Energy and Commerce; the primary check is the discharge petition threshold (218 signatures) already required to force the resolution itself to the floor, plus the Senate's independent consideration of any bill that passes the House.
Historical precedent
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate unanimously in 2022 but stalled in the House, representing the most recent direct precedent for federal legislation to make daylight saving time permanent.