The House overwhelmingly approved legislation to eliminate clock changes nationwide, but Senate resistance threatens to derail President Trump’s push for permanent daylight saving time despite broad public support for ending the twice-yearly ritual.

House Delivers Decisive Victory

Representatives voted 308-117 on Tuesday to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would keep the nation on daylight saving time year-round unless individual states opted out. Republican Representative Scott DesJarlais marked the moment by playing the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” from his phone as he announced the final tally. The bill, sponsored by Florida Republican Vern Buchanan, received Trump’s explicit backing after the president posted on Truth Social in May that he would work hard to see the measure become law.

Trump called the twice-yearly clock changes “ridiculous” and urged Republicans to claim the issue as a political win. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said constituents strongly favored making daylight saving permanent but expressed skepticism that the Senate would act. Georgia Representative Rich McCormick, an emergency room physician, cited mental health benefits and cost savings as reasons to support the change, noting that time adjustments increase depression and disrupt biological rhythms.

Senate Roadblock Emerges

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked similar legislation last year and maintains the same objections today, according to a senior Hill aide. Cotton warns that permanent daylight saving time would force parts of the country into darkness until 9 a.m. or later, creating dangerous morning commutes and forcing workers to start their days without sunlight. Multiple senators from both parties have opposed the measure in committee discussions, suggesting bipartisan resistance despite the issue’s popularity with voters.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Wednesday that he opposes federal mandates on the issue, noting that a previous attempt in the 1970s was repealed after less than a year. Thune acknowledged strong interest among Republican senators but indicated the chamber would take time to evaluate the House bill. Cotton plans to ask Thune not to bring the legislation to a vote, potentially killing the measure despite overwhelming House support.

History Repeats Itself

Congress attempted permanent daylight saving time during the 1970s oil crisis under President Richard Nixon, but Americans rejected the dark winter mornings and the law was quickly repealed. The Senate passed identical legislation by unanimous consent in 2022, but the House never took up that measure. Opinion polls show Americans dislike changing clocks twice yearly, though they remain divided on whether to adopt permanent daylight saving time or standard time. Nineteen states have passed laws allowing year-round daylight saving time contingent on federal approval, demonstrating widespread state-level support for ending the current system.