Congress has added three weeks in March and one week in November to the spring and summer season of daylight savings time. Commuters fear that a late sunrise will not allow them to pray in the morning before arriving at work, and Conservative and Orthodox Jewish groups have asked President George W. Bush not to sign the bill.
Under the proposal, daylight time would last through the first week in November and would start after the first week in March. The original plan was to extend daylight time by two months. An aide to Congressman Edward Markey said that the orthodox Agudath Israel helped convince Congressman on a compromise proposal.
The proposed changes would mean that sunrise would be around 8 a.m. "It would make it impossible for those in certain parts of the United States to pray Shacharis (morning prayers) before work," according to the Orthodox Union (OU).
The Conservative movement also is protesting the changes. Its public policy director Mark Waldman also pointed out that extending daylight time is dangerous. "[It] will force children to walk to school in pitch black streets during the time of year when inclement weather is more likely," he stated.
The airline industry also is opposed to the proposed law, which it said would cause havoc by disrupting flight schedules.
The date of changing the clock in the spring and fall has been a source of constant contention in Israel until this year, when a compromise was reached. Daylight savings time (known as "summer time" in Israel) will start with the secular calendar at the end of March, regardless the start date of the Passover holiday. Summer time will end with the Hebrew calendar, just before the Yom Kippur fast day, which can fall in September or October.
Under the proposal, daylight time would last through the first week in November and would start after the first week in March. The original plan was to extend daylight time by two months. An aide to Congressman Edward Markey said that the orthodox Agudath Israel helped convince Congressman on a compromise proposal.
The proposed changes would mean that sunrise would be around 8 a.m. "It would make it impossible for those in certain parts of the United States to pray Shacharis (morning prayers) before work," according to the Orthodox Union (OU).
The Conservative movement also is protesting the changes. Its public policy director Mark Waldman also pointed out that extending daylight time is dangerous. "[It] will force children to walk to school in pitch black streets during the time of year when inclement weather is more likely," he stated.
The airline industry also is opposed to the proposed law, which it said would cause havoc by disrupting flight schedules.
The date of changing the clock in the spring and fall has been a source of constant contention in Israel until this year, when a compromise was reached. Daylight savings time (known as "summer time" in Israel) will start with the secular calendar at the end of March, regardless the start date of the Passover holiday. Summer time will end with the Hebrew calendar, just before the Yom Kippur fast day, which can fall in September or October.