President Trump is escalating pressure on Senate Republicans to take up the House-passed Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. But the push is colliding with fierce resistance from GOP senators representing northern and western states, where year-round daylight saving time would mean sunrises after 9 a.m. or even later during winter months.
In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, Trump argued that ending the twice-yearly clock change would save money and reduce health risks, writing that Americans are “sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year.” He claimed the practice “costs Millions of Dollars” and is “bad for your health in the anxiety it creates.” The president framed the issue as one that unites voters across party lines: “This is an issue that Republicans, Dumocrats, and Independents can unite behind. I am asking Republican Senators to PASS THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ASAP.”
The House approved the bill last month with a robust bipartisan vote of 308 to 117. But Senate GOP sources say the legislation lacks the votes to pass by unanimous consent, and bringing it up under regular order would consume at least a week of floor time—a steep cost with only a few legislative weeks left in the year and a packed agenda.
Northern-state senators lead the opposition
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the No. 3 Republican in Senate leadership, has been among the most vocal opponents. In a recent interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show,” Cotton argued that the proposal’s appeal fades once you consider the practical consequences. “It may sound great in the summer months, and it may sound great if you live in Florida and you like to play golf,” he said, “but if you live in Bentonville, Ark., the sun wouldn’t come up in the depths of winter until well after 8 o’clock, maybe even 8:30.”
Cotton pointed to cities like Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Kalispell, Mont., where winter sunrises would occur after 9 a.m. or later. “There are places throughout the Midwest and the Rocky Mountain states that wouldn’t see the sun until 9, 9:30, almost 10 o’clock in some cases,” he warned. “That would be very dangerous, especially for kids who are walking to school, biking to school, being left at bus stops.”
History as a warning
Cotton also invoked a historical precedent: In 1973, Congress made daylight saving time permanent, but public support collapsed once people experienced winter darkness. Polls showed approval plummeting from 79 percent in December 1973 to 42 percent by February 1974, prompting Congress to reverse course almost immediately—by a near-unanimous House vote and a unanimous Senate vote.
“People had experienced daylight savings time in the depth of winter. Congress almost immediately repealed it,” Cotton said. He predicted the current bill would fail in the Senate, noting that opposition spans both parties. “This is one of those issues that is more of a regional issue than it is a partisan issue,” he added.
Leadership skepticism
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has expressed deep reservations. Thune, who voted against the measure in the Senate Commerce Committee, told reporters, “I’m from a northern clime. I voted against it in committee.” When asked whether the bill could clear the 60-vote threshold, he replied, “Remains to be seen. It’s not an issue that we really polled much yet.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thune’s home-state colleague, echoed those concerns, saying permanent daylight saving time would force children to wait for school buses in darkness until 9 or 9:30 a.m. in his state. “It doesn’t work in South Dakota,” he said.
Trump has continued to press the issue despite the resistance, arguing that the change could reduce crime and improve public health. In his Truth Social post, he cited “Leading Medical, Crime, and Economic Studies” claiming that an extra hour of evening sunlight would “Decrease Robbery and Murder Rates, Reduce Car Accidents (especially those involving Pedestrians!), Lower Risk for Cardiac Issues, Stroke, and Seasonal Depression.”
The president’s push on daylight saving time mirrors his broader efforts to bend the Senate GOP to his will on contentious issues, including his failed attempts to eliminate the filibuster and to force a vote on the SAVE Act. For now, the Sunshine Protection Act appears stalled, with Senate Republican leadership unwilling to spend precious floor time on a measure that lacks the votes to pass.
