President Donald Trump is personally lobbying Republican lawmakers to make daylight saving time permanent, throwing his support behind a long-running effort to end the twice-yearly ritual of changing the clocks.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the proposal last month in a 48-1 vote, adding language from the Sunshine Protection Act to a broader surface transportation reauthorization bill. The provision would eliminate the practice of moving clocks forward each spring and back each fall.
“The president has been actively engaged in this,” a senior White House official told Politico. “It’s a big priority for him.”
Trump has called Republican lawmakers directly to build support for the measure. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said the president recently asked whether he still backed the idea.
“He’s a big fan of it. He said, ‘Do you still think this is a good idea?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do, I think it’s a great idea.’”
Trump celebrated the committee vote on social media, calling the inclusion of the Sunshine Protection Act “a very nice WIN for the Republican Party.”
The president has publicly supported permanent daylight saving time since at least 2019. Advocates argue that later sunsets would encourage more economic activity, giving families additional daylight after work and school while benefiting industries such as retail, tourism, and golf.
Florida lawmakers have been among the most vocal supporters of the proposal.
“I passed legislation as governor” of Florida, Sen. Rick Scott said. “The moment it passes, we protect our sunlight … I’m going to make sure it gets passed this year.”
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., another longtime advocate, said the proposal reflects a common frustration among Americans who are tired of adjusting their schedules twice each year.
“Everybody feels basically the same way… most people … want to see that extra hour in the evening.”
The proposal still faces obstacles. Previous efforts to make daylight saving time permanent have stalled in Congress, and some lawmakers have raised concerns about darker winter mornings.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., previously blocked a similar proposal, warning that some farmers “might go three, four, even five hours in the morning without seeing the sun.”
Critics, including sleep researchers, have also raised questions about the potential health and safety consequences of reduced morning light. Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., cast the lone committee vote against the provision.
A senior White House official said the administration believes the benefits outweigh the concerns, pointing to the disruption caused by changing the clocks.
“The overall thrust of the policy is just to stop dealing with the health issues and the various pieces of economic dislocation that occur when we have to change our clocks. And if you’re a parent, the absolute holy hell of having to adjust your children’s internal clocks with the changing of the time, so we think it’s a win-win-win,” the official said.
Trump made a similar case online.
“it’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”
He added that the change “gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!”
The transportation bill faces additional disputes, including disagreements over rail safety provisions, and it remains unclear whether the daylight saving time language will survive in the final legislation.
Buchanan acknowledged that even broadly familiar issues can take years to move through Congress.
“I’ve been working on this thing for eight years, 10 years. That’s how long it takes.”
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