President Donald Trump pushes Senate to make daylight saving time permanent, says it’s ‘better’ for ‘fighting crime’
President Donald Trump renewed his push for the Senate to end the country’s twice-yearly clock changes, arguing that keeping more daylight in the evening could help reduce crime.
In a Truth Social post, Trump criticized the “chaos” caused by changing clocks twice a year and urged lawmakers to pass the NO MORE CHANGING THE CLOCKS ACT.
“The Senate must vote on the NO MORE CHANGING THE CLOCKS ACT as soon as possible. More sun later in the day is better (including for fighting crime!), but, even more importantly, NO MORE RIDICULOUSLY CHANGING CLOCKS AND WATCHES TWICE YEARLY, with all of the disruption and chaos it causes. FINALLY, GET IT DONE!!!” Trump wrote.
A bill already passed the House
Trump’s renewed call comes after the House approved the Sunshine Protection Act, H.R. 139 in a 308-117 vote.
The bill would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the annual clock change each November. The vote included opposition from 22 Republicans and 95 Democrats.
The legislation previously cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee in May 2026 by a 41-1 vote. It was introduced by Representative Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican.
Trump had already endorsed the proposal before the House vote. In an earlier Truth Social post, he said the measure “is so important in that Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities and States, being forced to change their Clocks.”
“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. 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,” Trump wrote.
Where the bill stands in the Senate
H.R. 139 reached the Senate and was referred to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The Senate is currently in recess and is scheduled to return on September 14, 2026, leaving lawmakers about 48 days to act before clocks are scheduled to move back one hour on November 1, 2026.
The bill could pass through unanimous consent if no senator objects. However, any objection would require the legislation to overcome a 60-vote threshold to bypass a filibuster.
Republican opposition led by Tom Cotton
Despite Trump’s support, the proposal faces opposition from some Republicans.
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas has argued that permanent daylight saving time would create dangerously late winter sunrises.
Cotton said the change would “push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour,” warning that “kids would either walk to school in the pitch black or schools would have to push back start times.”
A senior Hill aide said Cotton continues to hold the same concerns and that lawmakers from both parties have opposed the Senate version of the bill.
Cotton previously blocked an attempt to fast-track the legislation through unanimous consent in October 2025.
Other senators who have opposed permanent daylight saving time include Republicans Ted Budd, Deb Fischer, Jerry Moran, Tim Sheehy, Dan Sullivan, Roger Wicker and Todd Young, along with Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester, Tammy Duckworth, Amy Klobuchar, Gary Peters and Jacky Rosen, according to CBS News.
What happens if the Senate does not act
The Sunshine Protection Act would not require Arizona or Hawaii, which currently do not observe daylight saving time, to adopt permanent daylight saving time.
However, it would repeal the exemption granted under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, meaning states would need legislative action to maintain their current opt-outs.
If the Senate does not pass the measure before November 1, 2026, existing law will remain in place and Americans will move their clocks back one hour as scheduled.
Unlike the 2022 version of the bill, which passed the Senate but stalled in the House without a specified effective date, the current House-passed version also lacks a delayed start date. That means a Senate vote and presidential signature before November could, in theory, prevent the fall clock change from happening.