The House has approved legislation that would end the twice-yearly clock adjustments that have frustrated Americans for decades, voting 308-117 to make daylight saving time permanent across the country.
The Sunshine Protection Act would shift the nation to the time currently in place from March through November, eliminating the need to spring forward and fall back. States would retain the option to exempt themselves from the change before the law takes effect.
President Trump has thrown his weight behind the effort, posting on Truth Social that he plans to work hard to get the bill signed into law. "It's time that people can stop worrying about the 'Clock,' not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production," Trump wrote on May 21. He also framed the measure as a potential political win for Republicans.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where a previous version stalled last year. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., objected to fast-tracking the measure in October, arguing that permanent daylight saving time could create unexpected problems. Cotton raised concerns about parts of the country where sunrise would be delayed until 9 a.m. or later, potentially affecting early morning commutes and workers who would face dark conditions during their shifts.
Public opinion on the issue is mixed. While Americans broadly dislike changing clocks twice yearly, they remain divided on which direction to go, according to a 2025 AP-NORC poll. Some prefer permanent standard time, which would mean earlier sunrises, while others want the daylight time option that extends evening light.
Congress has grappled with this issue before. In 2022, the Senate unanimously approved making daylight saving time permanent, but the House let the measure die. During the 1970s, President Richard Nixon signed legislation to implement permanent daylight saving time for two years as an energy conservation measure during the oil crisis, but public backlash forced its repeal within months. Americans objected to dark early mornings, and the experiment ended almost as quickly as it began.
The concept itself is not new to American life. Daylight saving time operated as a wartime measure during both world wars before becoming permanent policy through the Uniform Time Act of 1966. That law established the pattern of moving clocks forward in March and back in November.
The issue has gained traction in states as well. Nearly all states have considered bills on the subject, and 19 have enacted legislation allowing year-round daylight saving time if Congress acts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and some other U.S. territories already skip the clock changes and remain on standard time year-round.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The Senate faces real concerns about dark winter mornings, but the public fatigue with changing clocks twice a year is undeniable."
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