Trump Pushes to End the Twice-Yearly Clock Change as Senate Fight Intensifies

President Donald Trump has renewed his push to end the twice-yearly changing of clocks in the United States, arguing that Americans should no longer have to move between standard time and daylight saving time.

The issue returned to national attention in early October after Trump sharply criticized Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas for opposing legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.

 

 

 

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Trump's October 2 message described the twice-yearly clock change as inconvenient and costly and urged Senate Republicans to move the Sunshine Protection Act forward. He also argued that additional evening daylight would benefit sports, farmers, families and businesses.

The proposal is not simply a presidential announcement. It is legislation that would have to pass Congress before it could become law.

The House has already taken action. On July 14, lawmakers approved the Sunshine Protection Act by a 308–117 vote, with support from members of both parties. The legislation would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, while allowing states that currently use permanent standard time to retain that arrangement or choose permanent daylight saving time.

 

 

 

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The Senate, however, has not approved the measure. The legislation's progress has effectively stalled, making the October campaign more significant if Trump wants Congress to act before the November midterm elections.

Cotton has emerged as one of the Republican senators resisting the proposal. His objection is not that he supports changing clocks twice a year. Instead, he has expressed concern about what permanent daylight saving time would mean during winter mornings.

In parts of the country, permanent daylight saving time would mean significantly later sunrises during the winter. Critics argue that this could leave children, commuters and early-shift workers traveling in darkness.

 

 

 

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Trump takes the opposite view. He has repeatedly argued that Americans generally prefer more daylight in the afternoon and evening rather than gaining additional sunlight early in the morning.

In his October 2 post, Trump also cited sports and outdoor activities, arguing that additional afternoon daylight would be particularly useful for golf and other recreational activities. He specifically referenced PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp's support for the legislation.

Trump went further on October 3 by publicly identifying what he said was Cotton's cellphone number and urging people in Arkansas to contact the senator. Reuters and the Associated Press reported the move as an escalation in Trump's pressure campaign against a fellow Republican.

That action generated criticism from some Republicans. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, for example, questioned the usefulness of publicly releasing a colleague's number during a policy disagreement.

 

 

 

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The disagreement illustrates that support for ending clock changes does not necessarily mean support for permanent daylight saving time.

Some Americans and lawmakers instead favor permanent standard time. Under that approach, clocks would also stop changing, but the country would remain on standard time throughout the year.

That distinction has become central to the congressional debate. The Sunshine Protection Act takes the daylight-saving approach, meaning winter evenings would remain lighter but winter mornings would become darker compared with the current system.

The question has been debated in Congress for years. Previous attempts to make daylight saving time permanent have repeatedly encountered concerns about winter sunrise times and differences between geographic regions.

 

 

 

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Trump has presented the issue as one where Republicans, Democrats and independents could potentially agree. In his October 2 statement, he said ending the twice-yearly clock change could become a bipartisan victory.

However, the political agreement is not complete. The House vote demonstrated substantial bipartisan support, but the Senate's lack of action shows that significant disagreements remain over what permanent time standard should be adopted.

The economic and social arguments are also disputed. Supporters point to potential benefits from longer evening daylight for recreation, retail and outdoor activity. Opponents focus on winter mornings and the consequences of darker commutes and school trips.

Trump has additionally cited claims involving crime, traffic accidents, health and other effects. Those claims are arguments used by supporters of the legislation, rather than proof that every predicted benefit would necessarily occur if the law passed.

 

 

 

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For now, Americans should still expect the existing system to continue. The Senate has not enacted the Sunshine Protection Act, meaning the federal government has not eliminated the scheduled transition between standard time and daylight saving time.