President Donald Trump is pressing the Senate to move quickly on legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent, arguing that ending the twice-yearly clock changes would improve public safety, boost the economy and benefit the health of Americans. His push comes after the House approved the measure by a wide bipartisan margin.
The House voted 308 to 117 to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would allow states to observe daylight saving time year-round. Although the measure received support from both parties in the House, it has not yet been taken up by the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain amid skepticism from lawmakers in both parties.
Trump took to Truth Social to press his case. «For many years, the vast Majority of Americans have asked to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, but no Administration has been able to get it done, until now,» he wrote. «People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly.»
Support for the legislation has generally come from lawmakers representing coastal states, while opposition has been concentrated among lawmakers from the Midwest and agriculture-heavy states. Trump argued that making daylight saving time permanent would give Americans an extra hour of evening daylight and would save money in places that are difficult to reach. «For Cities and States with Watchtowers, and hard to reach places, it costs Millions of Dollars,» he said.
The president also claimed that ending the biannual clock change would improve public health and reduce crime. He cited studies that he said show benefits including fewer robberies and murders, fewer car accidents, lower risks of cardiac issues, stroke and seasonal depression, and safer evening trips home for children. He also said the change would increase family time, support extracurricular activities and help industries such as sports, fitness, tourism, retail and restaurants.
«Leading Medical, Crime, and Economic Studies have shown that ceasing the biannual time change, giving us one extra hour of natural sunlight in the evenings, will help Decrease Robbery and Murder Rates, Reduce Car Accidents, Lower Risk for Cardiac Issues, Stroke, and Seasonal Depression, Make It Safer for Children to Walk Home from School, Increase Time with your Family, Strongly Support Extracurricular Activities, Boost the Sports, Fitness, Tourism, Retail, and Restaurant Industries, and Save Money on Energy Bills,» Trump wrote. «In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change again.»
Trump described the issue as one that Republicans, Democrats and independents can unite behind. «I am asking Republican Senators to release their holds, and allow the hotline to clear on the Republican side,» he wrote. «Pass the Sunshine Protection Act, ASAP.»
The White House sent an internal memo to Capitol Hill last month urging lawmakers to support the Sunshine Protection Act, calling it a «popular, common-sense reform.» Trump has long called for ending the twice-yearly clock changes.
Nearly every state currently observes daylight saving time, with clocks moving forward one hour in March and back one hour in November. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time. Many states have passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent if Congress authorizes the change.
An AP-NORC survey released in December found that only 12% of Americans support the current system of changing clocks twice a year. Nearly half of Americans opposed the practice, while 40% had no opinion. The Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on the measure, and Trump's appeal could face resistance from skeptics in both parties.
