Trump backs daylight saving time bill to stop time changes

President Donald Trump urged the Senate on Tuesday to pass legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. If the bill is signed soon, Americans would not turn back their clocks an hour for Nov. 1, 2026, and U.S. observation of time would not change going ahead, according to Trump. In a social media post Tuesday evening, the president argued that ending the twice-yearly clock changes would strengthen the economy and improve Americans’ health. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act last month, which would allow states to observe daylight saving time year-round.

While the House passed the bill with bipartisan support, the Senate has yet to take up the measure. Trump said Tuesday that this was an issue that Republicans, Democrats, and independents can all get behind.

When did the Senate last vote on legislation like this? Last year, another version of the Sunshine Protection Act stalled in the Senate. At the time, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said permanent daylight saving time could have negative consequences. He said that in some areas of the country, the sun wouldn’t rise until 9 a.m. or later in the winter, leading to dangerous morning commutes to school and work. In July, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told CNN he opposed the measure for similar reasons.

What did Trump say were the benefits of the time? Trump said Tuesday that people were tired of changing their clocks twice a year. He said the changes shorten evenings in the winter, causing people to become more anxious. He added that the extra daylight could boost families’ ability to spend time together.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report on the House’s passage of the Sunshine Protection Act in July.