Daylight saving time has, at least for now, escaped President Donald Trump’s ire. Americans will turn their clocks back an hour on Sunday, while Congress has yet to reach an agreement on changing the system.
The House passed a bill earlier this year that would let states make daylight saving time permanent. But the measure has stalled in the Senate, despite support from Trump and many voters.
Trump has repeatedly urged senators to act, renewing his call this week as he traveled to rallies in key states. In a post on Truth Social, he said most Americans wanted more evening daylight and that people were tired of changing their clocks. He called on the Senate to hold a vote.
The proposal, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, faces opposition from lawmakers in both parties. Trump’s campaign for the bill grew heated enough that he shared the phone number of Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who opposes the measure, and encouraged supporters to press him on it.
Cotton said he dislikes changing clocks too, but noted that Congress had previously made daylight saving time permanent and later reversed course after people experienced very late winter sunrises. He said Arkansas families would not want children heading to school in darkness, adding that he would put his state first.
The House approved the bill in July by a vote of 307 to 117, with support from both parties. Twenty-two Republicans and 95 Democrats voted against it.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has also urged the Senate to take up the measure. He argued that keeping more daylight in the evening would benefit families, businesses and community safety, and said the Senate should act on the bill passed by House Republicans.
Senators are expected to face a crowded agenda when they return after the election, making floor time difficult to secure for the proposal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the issue was still under discussion, but that lawmakers had not found a clear path forward or reached agreement.
