Trump Backs Bid to End Clock Changes, Make DST Permanent
President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind a bipartisan effort to eliminate the twice-annual clock changes and make daylight saving time (DST) permanent, after a key House committee advanced the legislation in a resounding 48-1 vote. The measure, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, was folded into a broader transportation bill and now heads to the House floor for consideration.
A Landmark Committee Vote
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted on May 21 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act as part of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act (H.R. 7389), a transportation bill sponsored by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX). The near-unanimous 48-1 vote signals strong bipartisan support for ending the practice of “springing forward” and “falling back” that has frustrated Americans for decades.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), who has introduced the Sunshine Protection Act every Congress since 2018, announced that the bill was “successfully marked up and sent to the House floor for consideration.” Buchanan called it “a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans.”
Trump’s Endorsement
Trump took to Truth Social on May 21 to celebrate the vote and pledge his support. “Big Vote today (48-1!) in the Energy and Commerce Committee on a Bill including The Sunshine Protection Act, which will be making Daylight Saving Time Permanent!” the president wrote, noting the “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars” spent annually on the clock-changing process.
“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 added. He framed the effort as a political winner, declaring it would be “a very nice WIN for the Republican Party.”
The endorsement marks the highest-profile push behind the legislation in years, though Trump has wavered on the issue in the past. In March 2025, he called it a “50-50 issue” and said it was “hard to get excited” about, before reversing course to urge Congress to act.
Bipartisan Support and Legislative Path
The House version of the Sunshine Protection Act has 32 bipartisan cosponsors — 29 Republicans and three Democrats. The Senate companion bill (S. 29), sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), has 18 bipartisan cosponsors. Scott said he looks forward to “FINALLY passing my Sunshine Protection Act out of the Senate.”
The bill would lock the country on year-round DST, though states that do not observe DST — Hawaii and most of Arizona — would retain the ability to opt out. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states have already enacted legislation to adopt year-round DST if Congress allows it, with Florida leading the way in 2018.
Public Opinion and Health Debate
An October 2025 AP-NORC poll found that 47% of Americans oppose the current system of switching clocks, while only 12% favor it. However, the public is divided on the replacement: 56% prefer year-round DST while 42% prefer year-round standard time.
The health implications remain a point of contention. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advocates for permanent standard time, not DST, citing risks including circadian rhythm disruption, increased heart attacks, and traffic fatalities. Proponents of permanent DST, including Buchanan, argue it can “improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity.”
Historical Precedent and Challenges Ahead
The U.S. has attempted year-round DST before. In January 1974, during the oil crisis, President Richard Nixon signed year-round DST into law. The experiment was short-lived — public support cratered as parents worried about children walking to school in darkness, and Congress repealed it in October 1974.
Similar legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent in March 2022 but stalled in the House. Several senators later said they would have objected had they known it would pass.
Geographic divides also pose a challenge. Interior and northern states may oppose permanent DST due to very late winter sunrises — as late as 9 a.m. in some areas. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) has warned it would “again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans.”
What’s Next
The Sunshine Protection Act now heads to the House floor, though no vote has been scheduled. Its attachment to a must-pass transportation bill increases its chances of passage, but the Senate path remains uncertain. With 18 cosponsors, the bill is far from the 60 votes needed to overcome a potential filibuster.
Trump’s vocal endorsement provides presidential momentum that was absent in previous attempts, but the question remains whether Congress can overcome the geographic, health, and political hurdles that have blocked the change for decades.