N環球 N GLOBE
US · Politics

Trump pressures Senate to make daylight saving time permanent — and publishes opponent's phone number

· N GLOBE

The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act 308–117 in July, but it is stalled in the Senate; Trump has been pressing lawmakers for days, and on Saturday published the phone number of an opposing senator.

Why it matters

The twice-yearly clock change has been U.S. practice for more than half a century, and Trump's pressure campaign is the closest attempt in years to end it. If the bill passes, clocks would stay on daylight saving time from 2027, giving an extra hour of evening sunlight — but darker winter mornings, the key objection holding it up in the Senate.

Full report

According to Reuters, on Friday, Oct. 2, Trump again used social media to urge the Senate to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would end the twice-yearly clock change and make daylight saving time permanent. The House passed the bill in July by a bipartisan 308–117 vote (193 Republicans, 114 Democrats and one independent). Trump wrote that changing the clocks twice a year "costs our country a fortune, is bad for crime, stress on people, sports, and just about everything else you can imagine."

He singled out Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), accusing him of blocking the bill in the Senate, and on Saturday published what he said was Cotton's phone number, urging Arkansas residents to pressure him. Al Jazeera reported that calling the number reached a full voicemail box; Cotton's spokesperson and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Cotton has previously opposed permanent daylight saving time, arguing that winter mornings would be darker, with children heading to school and farmers and construction workers starting their days before daylight, and citing the failed nationwide year-round daylight saving experiment of the 1970s.

Prospects in the Senate look dim: the chamber wrapped up work for the week and has no votes scheduled before returning after the Nov. 3 congressional election. Republican Sen. John Kennedy told Reuters the push is "dead as disco," while lead sponsor Sen. Rick Scott said he is still confident it can pass when lawmakers return. If enacted, clocks would no longer return to standard time in 2027, though states could opt out. For now, the U.S. still switches back to standard time on Nov. 1.

💬 Comments

No comments yet. Be the first!