President Donald Trump is pushing the Senate to pass the Sunshine Protection Act — a bill that would end the twice-yearly clock change and make daylight saving time permanent across America.
In a Truth Social post Saturday, Trump demanded senators vote on the legislation immediately, citing crime prevention and the chaos caused by changing clocks.
“The Senate must vote on the NO MORE CHANGING THE CLOCKS ACT as soon as possible. More sun later in the day is better (including for fighting crime!), but, even more importantly, NO MORE RIDICULOUSLY CHANGING CLOCKS AND WATCHES TWICE YEARLY, with all of the disruption and chaos it causes. FINALLY, GET IT DONE!!!”
The Senate must vote on the NO MORE CHANGING THE CLOCKS ACT as soon as possible. More sun later in the day is better (including for fighting crime!), but, even more importantly, NO MORE RIDICULOUSLY CHANGING CLOCKS AND WATCHES TWICE YEARLY, with all of the disruption and chaos it… pic.twitter.com/ra1IdvRYWb
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 16, 2026
The House already passed the bill by a 308–117 margin after it cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee 41-1 in May. Now it sits with the Senate — which returns from recess in mid-September.
Trump has long backed year-round daylight saving time. About a month before his second inauguration, he declared the Republican Party would work to eliminate the twice-yearly time change, calling it “inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.”
In July, Trump argued ending the clock changes would save the country hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks. Many of these Clocks are located in Towers, and the cost of renting, or using, Heavy Equipment to do this twice a year is prohibitive!”
He added it would be “a very nice WIN for the Republican Party.”
But not every Republican senator is on board.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) voted against similar legislation in committee last month, citing concerns about very late winter sunrises in South Dakota.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also opposed the measure during an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show,” telling host Alex Marlow that permanent daylight saving time would mean sunrise wouldn’t come until well after 8 a.m. in Arkansas during winter.
“I understand that all Americans hate changing the clock. I hate changing the clock. But I think you have to think through the second-order implications … of what permanent daylight savings time would mean. It may sound great in the summer months, and it may sound great if you live in Florida and you like to play golf, but if you live in Bentonville, Arkansas, the sun wouldn’t come up in the depths of winter until well after 8 o’clock, maybe even 8:30.”
The bill would allow states to opt into year-round daylight saving time. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii both already observe standard time year-round and are expected to keep their current schedules regardless of whether the bill becomes law.
Trump’s call comes as the Senate prepares to return from recess — and the president made clear he expects action.
