US Congress takes next step to make daylight saving time permanent

In a May social media post, Trump said he was "going to work very hard" to see a law on time changes passed.

"It's time that people can stop worrying about the 'Clock,' not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production. It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!" he said.

But critics of permanent DST have noted that it would lead to darker winter mornings, which could make driving conditions more hazardous for those on the road in early hours.

Those who support keeping standard time also say there are health benefits from having more light in the morning, such as an improved sleep cycle.

Only about one third of the world's countries follow some sort of daylight saving time, and the vast majority of them are in Europe, according to the Pew Research Center.

In Europe, only Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iceland, Russia and Turkey do not practice daylight saving time. In Africa, Egypt is the only nation with DST.