Trump urges Senate to vote on permanent daylight saving time bill ‘as soon as possible,’ but some Republican senators are not on board

President Trump is once again turning up the heat on the Senate, demanding that lawmakers push through the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 to make daylight saving time permanent, The Hill reported. The House of Representatives gave the bill a strong thumbs-up with a 308-to-117 vote last month. Trump took to Truth Social this past Saturday to make his position crystal clear, stating, “The Senate must vote on the NO MORE CHANGING THE CLOCKS ACT as soon as possible.”

If you’re someone who dreads the biannual ritual of adjusting your clocks, you’re definitely not alone. The President has been vocal about how this constant back and forth causes nothing but “disruption and chaos.”

Beyond the annoyance of resetting every device in your house, Trump has argued that locking in daylight saving time could actually be a major win for public safety and health. He’s suggested that having more sunlight later in the day is better, specifically noting it could help in “fighting crime!” He’s even claimed that the change could help decrease robbery and murder rates, reduce car accidents involving pedestrians, and potentially lower risks for cardiac issues, strokes, and seasonal depression.

Moving this through the Senate is turning into a much tougher climb than the House side might suggest

While the idea of ditching the clock change sounds like a dream for many, some prominent Republican senators are pushing back hard. They aren’t looking at this as a simple convenience issue, but rather as a logistical nightmare for northern states.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who serves as the No. 3 ranking member of Senate GOP leadership, has been one of the most vocal critics. During a recent appearance on The Hugh Hewitt Show, he acknowledged the universal frustration with changing clocks but urged people to look at the bigger picture.

Cotton pointed out that while it might seem like a great idea for those living in Florida or enjoying a summer golf game, the reality for places like Bentonville, Arkansas, or further north would be quite different. In the depths of winter, the sun wouldn’t rise until well after 8 o’clock or even 8:30. In some parts of the Midwest and the Rocky Mountain states, residents might not see the sun until 9:30 or nearly 10 o’clock in the morning.

This is a massive concern for parents and school districts, as it would mean kids heading to school or waiting for buses in the pitch black. Senators like Mike Rounds from South Dakota have echoed this, noting that it simply wouldn’t work for their constituents.

There’s a historical precedent here that keeps coming up in these debates. Cotton reminded listeners that Congress actually made daylight saving time permanent back in December 1973. While it was initially popular, that support collapsed once people experienced those dark, winter mornings. Congress ended up repealing the law in the fall of 1974 after eight children in Florida were involved in car accidents before the sun had even come up.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, also from South Dakota, has expressed his own skepticism. Having voted against similar legislation in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, he’s worried about the impact on northern climates. When asked if the bill could actually clear the 60-vote threshold needed to avoid a filibuster, Thune kept his cards close to the chest, saying, “Remains to be seen.”

The legislation as it stands, which was introduced by the retiring Rep. Vern Buchanan, wouldn’t force every state into this model. It would allow individual state legislatures to opt out, provided they take action no later than the day before the act is officially enacted. Interestingly, states like Hawaii and most of Arizona already don’t participate in the twice-yearly clock change, and this bill would repeal the specific exemption granted to them by the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

The Senate is currently out of session until September 14, but that hasn’t stopped the pressure from mounting. Senate GOP sources are warning that trying to push this to the floor under regular order would eat up at least a week of valuable time, which is a steep price to pay when there are so many other priorities on the legislative agenda.

While the President is eager to see this cross the finish line, it’s clear that the regional differences in how sunlight affects daily life are creating a significant hurdle for the bill’s path forward.