President Donald Trump is reviving his push for permanent daylight saving time after a House-passed bill stalled in the Senate, leaving the nation to endure another autumn clock change while lawmakers trade blame over safety concerns and scheduling hurdles.
As clocks fell back an hour on Sunday morning, November 1, 2026, ending months of longer evening daylight, the political battle over the Sunshine Protection Act intensified. The legislation passed the House in July 2026, according to USA Today, but has faced stubborn resistance in the upper chamber.
Trump criticized the upper house on social media, writing on Truth Social that the United States Senate is letting the legislation die despite overwhelming public demand. He added that while the country has far bigger priorities, he will keep fighting for the change.
The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.
In addition to referencing the Sunshine Protection Act, the president also pointed to an alternative measure on social media, asking why the chamber could not approve either that bill or the I Don’t Want to Change My Clocks Anymore Act. Trump also argued in his posts that the time change is bad for crime, stress levels, sports, and overall daily life.
The legislative effort has been a long-standing goal for Trump, who previously expressed support for making daylight saving time permanent during his first term. In March 2019, when clocks sprung forward, he tweeted that the shift was acceptable to him, and he reiterated his backing for eliminating the time change shortly before stepping into the White House for his second term in late 2024. He noted at the time that although the constituency for ending the practice is small, it should not be.
However, the president has occasionally expressed ambivalence about the fight. When asked in March 2025 about when he might eliminate the practice, he referred to it as a “50-50 issue” and noted that it is difficult to get excited about it. More recently, he remarked that he chose not to make a big deal out of this prior to the election to avoid having certain senators lose their race, but it is too bad they can’t get it done.
Trump Targets Cotton over Daylight Saving Stall
The push for year-round daylight saving time has exposed deep divisions among Senate Republicans. Trump singled out Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., claiming he held up the legislation, and urged supporters to call the senator directly, as reported by USA Today. His pressure campaign eventually escalated to the point where he shared the cellphone number of one of his top allies in the process.
No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter. Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch…
Cotton defended his stance, stating that Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld and his panel also discussed Trump calling out the Arkansas senator over their disagreement regarding the time change.
The House version of the legislation cleared the chamber, drawing support from majorities of both Democrats and Republicans. Despite this backing, progress on the bill came to a halt in the Senate, facing heavy headwinds from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., pressed the Senate in early October comments to take up the measure, stating that there is no reason Americans should lose an hour of sunlight when more daylight means more time with our families, more activity for our businesses and safer communities.
Historical Context of Time Changes
The modern framework governing time changes stems from the Uniform Time Act of 1966, under which only Congress or the Secretary of Transportation holds the authority to alter the system. Across the United States, only two states do not observe daylight saving time: Arizona and Hawaii.
As lawmakers are set to return to Capitol Hill, the path forward for the legislation remained uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., indicated that discussions are ongoing, but there is no clear path forward or consensus on it yet.
Most people are demanding light in the evening, but ALL want not to change their clocks anymore. TAKE A VOTE!
Trump posted on Truth Social, continuing his pressure campaign as winter evenings settle in.