President Donald Trump expressed support for making daylight saving time permanent. The move has drawn criticism from some members of Congress. On Saturday Trump shared a post on Truth Social in which he referenced Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
Trump claimed that Cotton was blocking the Sunshine Protection Act. One senator can block an attempt to pass legislation by unanimous consent but Senate leaders could still pursue the bill through normal procedures. Cotton has opposed permanent daylight saving time because he says very late winter sunrises would leave schoolchildren and many workers starting their days in darkness.
In his Truth Social post Trump also provided what he said was Cotton’s phone number and urged Arkansas residents to contact the senator directly.
Cotton wrote Saturday that Congress had tried permanent daylight saving time before and reversed course after Americans experienced very late winter sunrises. He said another permanent change would again make winter darker for millions of Americans. Cotton pointed to the nation's experience with year-round daylight saving time in 1974.
Trump had previously written on Truth Social about ending the twice-yearly clock change and cited support from the PGA Tour. He said the PGA Tour needed more afternoon light to finish winter tournaments. Trump also shared an October 1 letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp supporting the Sunshine Protection Act.
The president also shared that he had received feedback from people who disliked going home in darkness after a time change. He said a group of distinguished individuals told him they hated going home in the dark. In 1974 Congress began a trial of year-round daylight saving time during the energy crisis but lawmakers shortened the experiment later that year and restored standard time for part of the winter.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy described the current push as “dead as disco” and said he doubted Senate Majority Leader John Thune would bring the bill to a vote. Trump continued to press Cotton on his position and questioned whether his resistance was driven by “ego.” Cotton did not respond directly to Trump’s follow-up posts on Truth Social.
Reuters reported that the offices of Cotton and Thune did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a 308-117 vote in July but the Senate left Washington without taking up the measure before its recess.
Most Americans will still turn their clocks back on November 1 because the Senate is not scheduled to return before the November 3 midterm elections.
The debate reflects disagreements over whether permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time would be better. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports ending seasonal clock changes but says permanent standard time best aligns with human circadian biology and is preferable for health and safety.