- The Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent, but the House-passed bill remains stalled in the Senate.
- Trump supports brighter evenings, while Cotton and other opponents warn that later winter sunrises would leave children traveling to school in the dark.
- Unless federal law changes, Americans who observe daylight saving time will turn their clocks back one hour on Nov. 1.
A House-passed bill to make daylight saving time permanent has stalled in the Senate, leading to a public clash between President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Tom Cotton over whether brighter evenings are worth darker mornings.
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The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House with bipartisan support in July but has not advanced in the Senate. Trump intensified pressure on Cotton over the weekend by posting what appeared to be the Arkansas senator’s personal cellphone number online and urging constituents to demand his support, while Cotton maintained that permanent daylight saving time would force children to travel to school in the dark.
“Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first,” Cotton said.
When do clocks change this year?
If the bill remains stalled, Americans will “fall back” this year on Nov. 1, returning to standard time.
Trump argues that permanent daylight saving time, which would lead to more light in the evenings, would reduce traffic accidents, lower crime, save energy and give families more evening daylight.
“People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday. “Even most farmers would rather have additional time in the evening to harvest their crops.”
In this initial post, Trump also singled out Cotton as the one holding up the bill in the Senate.
“Unfortunately, it’s being held up by Senator Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, for reasons unknown,” Trump wrote.
On Saturday morning, Trump took to Truth Social again to urge Arkansas residents to pressure Cotton into supporting the bill. The post disclosed what looked to be Cotton’s personal phone number, telling Cotton’s constituents to “call Tom on his cellphone” and “let him know” that the Sunshine Protection Act would be a “great bipartisan win.”
Cotton did not respond to the apparent release of his phone number, but explained his opposition to the bill on X.
“No one likes changing the clock, me included,” Cotton said. “But Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.”
No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter. Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch…
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) October 3, 2026
Daylight saving time vs. standard time
Cotton’s position underscores a key distinction in the debate: Ending twice-yearly clock changes still leaves the question of whether to adopt permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time.
Save Standard Time, an advocacy organization supporting permanent standard time, called sunrises between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. “unhealthy, unsafe, unsustainable.”
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Thank you, Senator Cotton! 8:30–9:30am sunrises are unhealthy, unsafe, unsustainable. 🙏 Please file one of our bills for permanent Standard Time (one of which offers an option for FL to advance its own time zone if they insist)! pic.twitter.com/tVHQbSHlKw
— Save Standard Time (@SaveStandard) October 3, 2026
The organization urged Cotton to introduce one of its proposals for permanent standard time, including an option that would allow Florida to advance its time zone.
In Salt Lake City, permanent daylight saving time could push sunrise as late as 8:52 a.m. during the fall months, compared with 7:52 a.m. under standard time. Sen. Mike Lee said Sunday that he supports ending twice-yearly clock changes and could accept either permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time.
“I can live with either time setting,” Lee posted. “But Congress shouldn’t make us change clocks.”
I can live with either time setting.
But Congress shouldn’t make us change clocks. https://t.co/bGVNigDA4b
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) October 4, 2026
Where the Sunshine Protection Act currently stands
Cotton isn’t the only senator opposed to darker mornings in favor of brighter evenings. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has expressed similar concerns.
“I can’t support a motion to go to Daylight Saving Time, because it means that the kids in South Dakota ended up going to school in the dark for about the first hour of classes for more than six months out of a year,” Rounds told Fox News.
Supporters, meanwhile, are pressing the Senate to act after the bill’s bipartisan passage in the House.
“Americans want more sunshine!” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted on Sunday. “It’s time to pass my Sunshine Protection Act so that families can enjoy spending more time outside and soaking up the sun.”
Americans want more sunshine! ☀️
It’s time to pass my Sunshine Protection Act so that families can enjoy spending more time outside and soaking up the sun. pic.twitter.com/veStZI4nY0
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 4, 2026
The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July, but it remains stalled in the Senate without a vote as lawmakers leave Washington ahead of midterm elections.
This means the bill will not pass before Americans return to standard time on Nov. 1, the day after Halloween. It could still be considered during the post-election session, but if Congress does not enact it before the current Congress ends in January, it will die and need to be reintroduced.
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