Senate Republicans Stall Permanent Daylight Saving Bill
Leaders in the upper chamber predict the House-passed measure will not reach a vote before the November 3 elections, leaving the biannual clock change in place.
By Lauren Bello ·
Senate Republicans have signaled that a bill to make daylight saving time permanent will likely fail to pass before the end of the year. This decision stands in direct contrast to President Donald Trump’s repeated demands that Congress act swiftly to eliminate the annual time change. The legislative gridlock ensures that Americans will continue to adjust their clocks twice a year in the near future.
The House of Representatives has already approved the legislation, but the measure has stalled in the Senate. Several Republican senators from northern states have expressed opposition to the change. These lawmakers argue that permanent daylight saving time would result in sunrises that are too late for residents in their districts. The delay means the current system will remain the national standard through at least the winter of 2027.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has emerged as the most prominent critic of the proposal. As a member of the Republican leadership, Cotton has consistently blocked the bill. He noted that Congress has attempted to make daylight saving time permanent in the past and reverted to the status quo each time. Cotton cited public dissatisfaction with late winter sunrises as the primary reason for those previous repeals.
Trump has used social media to apply pressure on the Senate, specifically targeting Cotton. Earlier this month, the president posted his personal phone number and urged Cotton to "GET IT DONE." He argued that having more daylight in the afternoon improves public safety and allows for more evening activity. Trump also mentioned that the time change is dangerous for maintenance crews working on tall structures like church steeples.
Other Republicans have joined the resistance. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota stated that permanent daylight saving time would mean sending children to school in the dark. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana described the House bill as a "non-starter" for Senate leadership. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio was more direct, stating there is no way the bill will pass the Senate in the immediate term.
The Senate is scheduled to return to Washington after the midterm election on November 3. Given the short remaining session, few senators expect a vote on the time change measure. Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota has not publicly commented on this specific bill, though he has voted against similar versions in previous sessions. The lack of a scheduled vote effectively ends the chances of enactment this year.
The debate over time zones has a long history in the United States. In 1973, Congress enacted permanent daylight saving time during an energy crisis. The law was repealed by the following October as public support waned. Many Americans today have forgotten that experiment, leading to renewed calls for a single, permanent time standard.
Recent polling indicates strong public desire for a change. An AP-NORC poll from last year found that only 12 percent of adults favored the current system. Nearly half of respondents opposed it. Proponents of a single time, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, argue that the current system disrupts sleep and economic activity.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida has championed the cause, having signed state legislation in 2018 to keep Florida on daylight saving time year-round. He cited the frustration families face with the biannual adjustment. Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts also supports the change, noting the negative impacts on health and the economy. Despite this bipartisan interest among some lawmakers, the political will to override the current system has not materialized in the Senate.
