Trump revives push to pass Sunshine Protection Act ending
Conservative principles face implementation challenges as policy meets political complexity.
There’s a special kind of exhaustion that hits twice a year when the calendar flips and our internal body clocks go haywire. It is not a political opinion to say that changing the clocks is a pointless, archaic hassle—it's just a fact of modern life. So it’s refreshing to see President Trump grabbing this issue by the horns and telling Senate Republicans to get the Sunshine Protection Act across the finish line.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
President Donald Trump urged Senate Republicans early Friday to pass legislation ending the nation’s twice yearly clock changes before lawmakers leave Washington for recess. Trump again called on the Senate to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, in a lengthy post on social media.
Economy fell short of expectations with 29,000 jobs in September in lackluster report Economy fell short of expectations with 29,000 jobs in September in lackluster report Economy fell short of expectations with 29,000 jobs in September in lackluster report “Republicans in the Senate have to get moving on what I call the ‘No More Changing of Clocks Act,’ officially known as The Sunshine Protection Act,” Trump wrote.
Trump argued that changing the clocks twice a year is “foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly,” and said permanent daylight saving time would provide more sunlight during evening hours.
The legislation, introduced in January 2025, passed the House 308-117 on July 14 with bipartisan support but remains pending in the Senate without a scheduled debate. Trump blamed Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) for holding up the measure. “Unfortunately, it’s being held up by Senator Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, for reasons unknown,” he wrote.
Cotton has opposed ending daylight saving for years, arguing that children would head to school before sunrise and commuters could face safety risks during the winter months. Permanent daylight saving time would provide later sunsets during the winter but it would also substantially delay sunrise.
Source: Department of Transportation, Washington Post; Graphic: Grace Hagerman/Washington Examiner But Trump pushed back, saying “people are sick and tired of having to change their Clocks twice a year.” He argued ending the practice could reduce crime and car crashes while improving health, tourism, retail, and restaurant activity.
The debate over changing the nation’s timekeeping system has stretched across the states for years. Since 2015, nearly every state has considered legislation related to daylight saving time, with more than 800 bills and resolutions introduced in recent years.
The clock is ticking for the Senate as the next scheduled transition to standard time approaches Nov. 1. Without congressional action, states will continue following the current federal system. Lawmakers have yet to reach a consensus on which system should replace the current practice.
Some proposals would make daylight saving time permanent, keeping clocks on their summer setting year-round, while others would eliminate daylight saving time altogether and keep the country on standard time.
Nineteen states have approved permanent daylight saving time. What does that mean for the clocks this year? Health experts have also disagreed with the push for permanent daylight saving time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports permanent standard time, arguing that it better aligns with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
The group has cited research linking seasonal clock changes with increased risks of cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and car crashes. The Senate has not scheduled a vote on the Sunshine Protection Act.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
There’s a special kind of exhaustion that hits twice a year when the calendar flips and our internal body clocks go haywire. It is not a political opinion to say that changing the clocks is a pointless, archaic hassle—it's just a fact of modern life. So it’s refreshing to see President Trump grabbing this issue by the horns and telling Senate Republicans to get the Sunshine Protection Act across the finish line. This isn’t a culture war battle; it’s a quality-of-life bill that actually makes sense to the guy working the late shift.
The resistance to this has always been bizarre. We managed to survive the 1970s experiment with year-round daylight saving time, and we can survive it again. The arguments against it usually boil down to "think of the children in the dark" or some vague concern about morning commutes, but the truth is that standard time is dead to most people anyway. We spend half the year squinting in the dark at 5 PM, and for what? So we can claim the sun rises earlier in December? The trade-off isn’t even close.
Senate Republicans have a habit of fumbling the ball on clear wins, and this is a prime opportunity to change the narrative. This is a low-cost, high-popularity move that doesn’t require a single dime of federal spending. It’s the kind of common-sense governance that voters actually remember. The longer we drag this out, the dumber we look. If the GOP wants to prove it can govern effectively, passing this bill is the easiest "W" available.
President Trump has thrown the full weight of his platform behind getting this done before recess. The onus is now squarely on the Senate to stop overthinking a simple solution. This is about giving people their evenings back. Call your senators, tell them to leave the clocks alone, and let’s get on with our lives. The time for studying this is over; the time for acting is now.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.